BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana legislative is now over. Hundreds of bills were considered and dozens more were passed, including bills pertaining to gun rights, teacher pay, and the potential formation of a new school district in St. George.
On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. will visit Baton Rouge for a bill-signing event along side Governor Jeff Landry.
Kennedy will join Landry as he signs bills aligned with Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, including Senate Bill 14 which puts restrictions on the types of ingredients schools can use when serving lunch and breakfast.
Banning Ultra-Processed Foods in Schools and Ingredient Transparency: Senate Bill 117 and Senate Bill 14
Senate Bill 117 seeks to ban the sale and serving of ultra-processed foods in public schools. The bill defines ultra-processed food as items containing specific synthetic additives and mandates that schools ensure a minimum of 20% of their food purchases are produced in Louisiana, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.
Senate Bill 14 places new restrictions on certain chemical in foods for Louisiana schools, including banning certain artificial colors and additives being used.
The bill also restricts which types of foods that can be sold in vending machines and concession stands on school campuses.
Food manufacturers in the state will also be required to include QR codes on packages for foods containing certain artificial ingredients starting in 2028. That code will then take consumers to a webpage with information about those ingredients and a warning that they could be harmful.
St. George School District Proposals: Senate Bill 25 and Senate Bill 234
Senate Bill 25, a proposed constitutional amendment, requires support from two-thirds of the legislature. If approved, statewide voters would decide whether to add the St. George school district to the state Constitution. The amendment requires a majority vote statewide and a majority vote in East Baton Rouge Parish, where the district is being formed.
The bill was passed in the House with amendments on June 11th and signed by Senate President Cameron Henry earlier today.
The St. George School District would become the fifth public school district in East Baton Rouge Parish, joining Baker, Central, Zachary, and East Baton Rouge.
Senate Bill 234 creates and provides for the St. George Community School Board and school system in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The bill was passed in both the House and the Senate and was sent to Gov. Landry’s desk for signature on June 11th. According to the bill, the new school district would not open until July 1, 2027 if approved by lawmakers.
State Budget Bill: House Bill 1
Lawmakers passed the state’s $49.3 billion general appropriations budget on the final day of the legislative session.
Only one representative voted against the bill.
Several additional funding measures were made in the Senate’s version of the bill, including:
- $1.6 billion was appropriated to the Louisiana Department of Health with most of those funds coming from federal funding for medicaid.
- Funding an additional $709 million for the Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Fund with $630 million of that going towards the Highway Priority Program.
- $279 million was budgeted for the Louisiana Economic Development and the LED Initiatives Fund.
- $115 million for higher education and the Campus Revitalization Fund.
- $82 million was appropriated for the executive department, which includes Gov. Landry’s office.
- $67.2 million for the Modernization and Security Fund.
As part of HB 1, Gov. Landry’s school voucher initiative saw a decrease in funding from the requested $93 million to $43.5 million.
The program dubbed, LA GATOR, gives tax dollars to eligibles families to pay tuition for private school or home school expenses.
While the House initially passed the original budget, which included the $93 million in funding, the Senate Finance Committee amended the budget to cut the program by more than half.
Senate President Cameron Henry previously said lawmakers would give the program the same amount of funding the state gave its old private and home school voucher program, which LA GATOR is replacing, but Landry requested an additional $50 million in funds.
Louisiana Pharmacy Bill Fails to Receive Senate Vote: House Bill 358
House Bill 358 was sent back from a conference committee on Wednesday with one new addition: it would ban Pharmacy Benefits Managers, also known as PBMs, from owning and operating pharmacies in the state.
CVS, one of the state’s largest drug stores, is considered a PBM but also owns a chain of drug stores.
PBMs essentially act as middlemen between pharmacies and drug wholesalers, who can negotiate and even inflate prescription drug costs for insurers and consumers, and can also determine what medications an insurer will cover.
Supporters of the bill say it will help prevent big companies from buying up locally owned and independent pharmacies, ultimately giving consumers more choices.
After the PBM ban was added to the bill, CVS quickly began a state-wide lobbying campaign, sending out texts to costumers warning that: “Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS pharmacy. Your medication cost may go up and your pharmacist may lose their job,” and urging customers to contact their lawmakers to oppose the bill.
Earlier today, the House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
If passed, CVS claims the bill would force them to close 119 Louisiana CVS locations, putting 2,700 employees out of work.
They also claim it would affect 1 million patients across the state, including 22,000 patients who receive high-cost speciality drugs not available in most independently owned pharmacies.
Gov. Landry tweeted that the text message campaign from CVS was one reason the bill needed to pass.
Despite threats from Gov. Landry to hold a special legislative session, the bill was ultimately not voted on by the Senate before the 6 p.m. deadline.
Teacher Pay Raises Approved, will require state-wide vote: House Bill 466
House Bill 466 is a repackaged version of a bill from the November special tax session. It would require school systems to give teacher raises using savings from a second related piece of legislation. A related bill, House Bill 473, would eliminate three public trust funds to pay off debts owed by the state’s teachers’ retirement system, in which individual districts currently pay an allotted interest rate.
The bill recieved final passage in the legislature earlier today and will require a state-wide vote to decide whether to approve the constitutional amendment.
If voters approve the amendment, teachers will recieve a $2,250 raise and support staff staff will get a $1,125 raise.
Teachers will receive the raises in the 2026-2027 school year.
Weapon Carrying Near Schools and Along Parade Routes: Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 393
Senate Bill 101 proposes modifications to existing state law regarding the illegal carrying of weapons. Under current Louisiana law, a Louisiana concealed carry permit is required to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.
If passed, this bill would allow anyone legally permitted to carry a gun to do so up to a school’s property line. The bill also removes “vocational-technical” schools from the definition of a school, effectively eliminating gun-free zones at these campuses statewide.
The bill was passed in both the House and Senate and was sent to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk on June 11th.
House Bill 393 would allow bystanders or spectators to carry guns at parades, as long as they are not participating in the parade and are legally allowed to carry a gun.
Current state law lists several places where “no concealed handguns may be carried,” including parades and demonstrations being held with a government permit.
The bill was passed in both chambers and was sent to Gov. Landry’s desk for approval on June 9th.
TOPS Scholarship Reforms: House Bill 378 and House Bill 77
House Bill 378 aims to equalize academic requirements for TOPS awards between homeschooled students and those attending traditional high schools. Currently, students who complete approved home study programs must score one or two points higher on the ACT to receive various TOPS awards.
- 17 for TOPS-Tech
- 20 for Opportunity TOPS Scholarship
- 23 for Performance TOPS Scholarship
- 27 for Honors TOPS Scholarship.
The bill was passed in both chambers and sent to the Governor’s desk for approval on June 11th.
House Bill 77 also addresses the state’s TOPS scholarship program. The original bill would have set flat scholarship amounts, reducing awards by hundreds of dollars for nearly 10,000 LSU Baton Rouge students on Opportunity and Performance TOPS scholarships, while increasing amounts for students at other Louisiana schools.
Ultimately, the bill was amended to remove the flat award amounts, lowering its estimated cost from approximately $57 million to $12 million.
However, the bill will create an “Excellence” award, offering $12,000 to students who score at least 31 on the ACT and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA.
After the House rejected Senate amendments made to the bill on June 9th, it was sent to a conference committee and the report from that committee was accepted and passed in the House earlier today.
Judicial Retirement Age Increase: House Bill 63
HB 63 would raise the retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. The Senate narrowly passed the bill, receiving exactly two-thirds support—the minimum needed for it to advance to the House.
It passed the House June 9, but amendments added by the Senate were rejected. The bill’s conference committee report was adopted in the Senate earlier today.
Ethics and Accountability: House Bill 674
House Bill 674 aims to revise the state’s code of ethics laws, intending to complicate investigations into ethical violations by the Louisiana Ethics Board. Gov. Landry’s personal attorney, who also represented him in a 2023 ethical violation charge, drafted the legislation. While the governor supports the bill, opponents argue it will hinder investigations into potential public official misconduct.
The bill passed both the House and Senate with only three dissenting votes and now awaits Gov. Landry’s signature.
Online Gambling Tax Hike: House Bill 639
House Bill 639 proposes raising the tax on online gambling to 21%. Proponents estimate this will generate $28 million annually to fund various collegiate athletic programs across the state. The bill passed the Senate 35-3 on June 8 and the House on May 20.
It now heads to Gov. Landry’s desk for signing.
Cracking Down on Distracted Driving: House Bill 519
House Bill 519 introduces stricter regulations and fines for distracted drivers. It explicitly outlaws posting or scrolling on social media while driving, along with creating videos or taking photographs behind the wheel. The bill includes an exception for contacting law enforcement to report a crash, medical emergency, or crime in progress. It passed the Senate on June 2 and the House on June 4 with only one opposing vote.
The bill now heads to Gov. Landry’s desk for signing.
Darker Window Tints Approved: House Bill 119
House Bill 119, which garnered overwhelming support in the House with a 93-3 vote in May and passed the Senate unopposed, has been sent to the governor’s desk to become law.
This legislation would decrease the minimum light transmission percentage for vehicle front side window tint from 40% to 25%, effectively allowing darker tints.
Legal Claims for Unauthorized Immigrants: House Bill 436
House Bill 436 seeks to limit legal claims filed by unauthorized immigrants involved in car accidents. The bill passed the House 69-17 in late April and the Senate in May.
Gov. Landry signed it into law on May 28, and it becomes effective August 1, 2025.
“No Pay, No Play” Expansion: House Bill 434
House Bill 434 expands the state’s “No Pay, No Play” law, preventing uninsured drivers from claiming damages for the first $100,000 in bodily injury or property damage after an accident. It passed the House 76-14 on April 28 and the Senate on May 21.
Gov. Landry signed the bill into law on May 28, and it becomes effective August 1, 2025.
Restricting Damages for At-Fault Drivers: House Bill 431
House Bill 431 restricts individuals primarily at fault in an accident from recovering damages for injuries. After passing both the House and Senate, Gov. Landry signed it into law on May 28.
Fallen Officers Honored: Senate Bill 190
SB 190 renames the stretch of Airline Highway between 9607 Airline Highway (Benny’s Car Wash) and 9000 Airline Highway (BRPD Headquarters) as the “Jackson, Gerald, Garafola & Tullier Memorial Highway.”
The bill was sent to Gov. Landry’s desk on May 30 and signed into law on June 4.
Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald, Brad Garafola Sr., and Nick Tullier were killed on Airline Highway on July 17, 2016, during an ambush by a gunman, who was subsequently killed by Baton Rouge Police Department officers.
Immigration Enforcement: Senate Bill 100 and Senate Bill 15
Senate Bill 100 would require state agencies to track and report the services received by undocumented immigrants to determine the amount of tax dollars spent on them. These agencies include the Louisiana Department of Education, the Department of Corrections, Children and Family Services, and the Department of Motor Vehicles, among others.
Agencies would then need to report how many undocumented immigrants they serve and the cost of these services. That report would be sent to the governor, the attorney general, and the legislature and published online.
The bill was passed in the House on June 9th and passed in the Senate with amendments on June 10th. It was signed by Senate President Cameron Henry June 11.
Senate Bill 15 would make it a crime for law enforcement agents, private individuals, and public officials to obstruct federal immigration enforcement or civil immigration proceedings.
Both bills come amid waves of protests over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, as well as other cities around the country.
In May, Gov. Landry signed an executive order dubbed “Operation Geaux,” which authorized state and local enforcement officers to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight through the 287(g) program.
The bill was passed in the House on June 9th and passed in the Senate with amendments the following day. It was sent to Gov. Landry’s desk on June 11 for signing.
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