The Louisiana Legislature adjourned sine die on June 3, 2024, capping an eventful year for the legislature that has now seen two special sessions in addition to the regular session that just ended. In the first special session in January, the legislature took on redistricting while the February special session focused on crime in the state. During the regular session that began in March, the legislature introduced over 2,000 bills and delivered almost 500 of them to first-year Governor Jeff Landry (R).
Here's what you may have missed in Baton Rouge this year:
Budget
The state’s budget was passed with hardly any time to spare before the clock ran out on the year, supporting a number of initiatives from the governor’s office as well as teacher raises, infrastructure funding, and public safety. The state is expecting a deficit next year due in no small part to the expiration of a temporary 0.45% sales tax, however, Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier (R) said, “When you look at the projected deficits it would be very difficult to continue down the path of giving supplemental dollars.”
AI and Privacy
The legislature failed to advance this year’s comprehensive privacy bill, HB 947 but did pass a pair of AI elections-related bills without much opposition. The first, HB 154, prohibits a person from distributing or transmitting material containing any image, audio, or video of a known candidate or an affiliated person that has been created or intentionally manipulated to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video with the intent to deceive a voter or injure the reputation of a known candidate in an election. Similarly, SB 97 requires disclosure of the use of deep fake technology and other AI tools in certain political advertising.
Other Legislative Highlights
House and Senate Republicans enjoyed their supermajorities for the first session under a governor from their own party since 2016, and legislators used the opportunity to enact Republican priorities. SB 276 expands the state’s existing abortion restrictions by rescheduling mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly used in medication-induced abortions, as Schedule IV drugs. According to the bill, the punishments for possessing abortion pills without a prescription include up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. It goes into effect on October 1. With the passage of this bill, Louisiana became the first state to designate these drugs as controlled substances. Senator Thomas Pressly (R), the bill’s sponsor, said that the goal of the bill is to “control the rampant illegal distribution of abortion-inducing drugs.”
Other GOP priorities were also at the forefront of conversation this year, such as HB 608, which bans transgender persons from using school restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms that align with their gender identity, and HB 121, which requires students to obtain permission from their parents to change the name or pronouns they use in school. Legislators also passed a ban on “sanctuary cities” and a bill to allow local police to detain persons suspected of being in the United States illegally. These bills, which had been introduced in previous years, were able to get across the finish line with a Republican governor in office.
The legislature also passed a package of legislation supported by the office of the new Insurance Commissioner, Tim Temple, aimed at lowering property insurance premiums for Louisianans. Bills that eliminated the state’s unique “three-year rule,” which prohibited insurers from raising deductibles and canceling or not renewing policies that were in effect for more than three years and that extended the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program were signed into law by Governor Landry.
What’s Next
Legislators may return to the statehouse for a special session later this year to pass legislation that would provide for a constitutional convention which is a major goal of Governor Landry. We’ll be following any efforts that may be undertaken by the legislature during the interim. For any questions about bills passed during Louisiana’s regular session or either special session, please contact Robby Korn at rak@stateside.com.