Governor John Bel Edwards announced that he has taken action on a number of bills from the 2022 Regular Legislative Session.
The Governor signed the following bills into law:
ACT 723—HB 673 Provides relative to the regulation of pharmacy benefit managers.
ACT 724—HB 677 Provides relative to cost sharing for insulin prescriptions.
ACT 725—HB 693 Provides relative to institutional investors.
ACT 726—HB 102 Provides relative to parole hearings.
ACT 727—HB 185 Provides relative to expressive activities at public postsecondary education institutions.
ACT 728—HB 202 Requires political committees to include specified information on the statement of organization.
ACT 729—HB 249 Provides for the confidentiality of certain port facilities records.
ACT 730—HB 456 Allows eligible legislators to elect to receive per diem payments pursuant to an IRS-compliant accountable plan rather than as compensation.
ACT 731—HB 491 Provides relative to simple robbery.
ACT 732—HB 525 Provides for the transfer of certain state property in Caddo Parish.
ACT 733—HB 530 Provides relative to the sale of certain state property in Iberia and St. Martin Parish.
ACT 734—HB 539 Provides for property insurance policies.
ACT 735—HB 558 Provides for claims settlement practices.
ACT 736—HB 568 Provides relative to adoption deception.
ACT 737—HB 691 Authorizes the exchange of certain state property in St. Martin Parish.
ACT 738—HB 701 Provides relative to the declaration of a state of emergency.
ACT 739—HB 733 Provides relative to penalties for violations of any driver or operator of a vehicle.
ACT 740—HB 923 Provides relative to liability associated with Mardi Gras parades.
ACT 741—HB 924 Provides for post-election tabulation audits of paper records including absentee ballots.
ACT 742—HB 983 Authorizes the transfer of funds from a START account to a START K12 account.
ACT 743—HB 1048 Provides relative to economic development.
ACT 744—HB 1064 Provides relative to the deposit and disbursement of insurance proceeds.
ACT 745—HB 156 Provides relative to criminal history review with respect to teacher certification.
ACT 746—HB 627 Provides relative to the penalties for the crime of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
ACT 747—HB 820 Provides relative to civil forfeiture.
ACT 748—HB 893 Provides relative to criminal justice reinvestment savings and reporting requirements.
ACT 749—HB 478 Provides relative to the inspection of records for criminal bail bonds.
ACT 750—HB 628 Provides relative to parole eligibility.
ACT 752—SB 401 Authorizes governing authorities to adopt ordinances to increase certain fees in the parishes of St. Tammany and Washington.
ACT 753—SB 402 Provides for special masters in certain civil actions arising within a parish included in a major disaster declaration.
ACT 754—SB 412 Provides for the Insure Louisiana Incentive Program.
ACT 755—SB 416 Terminates the Calcasieu-Cameron Navigation District.
ACT 756—SB 429 Provides for substantial completion of public works.
ACT 757—SB 439 Provides for bridge year graduate physicians.
ACT 758—SB 445 Provides relative to approval of Department of Transportation and Development P3 projects.
ACT 759—SB 447 Provides for commercial menhaden harvest reporting.
ACT 760—SB 455 Provides for broadband development and connectivity.
ACT 761—SB 459 Provides relative to the Lake Oaks Subdivision Improvement District.
ACT 762—SB 460 Provides relative to a statewide electric vehicle charging technology and equipment network.
ACT 763—SB 461 Provides for powers of the Vinton police chief.
ACT 764—SB 467 Requires DOTD to initiate the necessary engineering, financial, and other studies to begin passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and along the Interstate 20 corridor.
ACT 765—SB 471 Provides for foreign sources to fund certain gifts and contracts to the state or political subdivisions.
ACT 766—SB 472 Prohibits contracts with certain foreign-owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure.
ACT 767—SB 473 Provides relative to foreign interest in certain Louisiana research facilities.
ACT 768—SB 475 Creates the Baker Main Street Economic Development District as a special taxing district.
ACT 769—SB 476 Provides for a change in boundaries and governance of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District.
ACT 770—SB 478 Provides relative to the public records law.
ACT 771—SB 480 Provides relative to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.
ACT 772—SB 489 Provides for suspension of certain licenses for failure to comply with subpoenas, or warrants, or court orders in paternity or child support cases.
ACT 773—SB 497 Restricts alteration of a vehicle's wheel well.
ACT 774—SB 271 Provides relative to bidding requirements on public works projects.
ACT 775—SB 383 Provides relative to advertisements for legal services.
ACT 776—SB 424 Provides for boating safety instruction.
The Governor vetoed the following bills:
HB 661 would limit the authority of a parish president or mayor to have authority over a state building inside their parish or city during a declared emergency. This bill is simply too broad.
SB 145 would allow any charter school group with a corporate partner to submit a proposal directly to BESE for approval, bypassing the authority of the local school board for the jurisdiction in which the charter school intends to locate. The consequences of eliminating local approval of charter schools and diverting MFP dollars far outweighs any administrative benefit that may be received.
SB 379 seeks to not just use juvenile adjudication as an enhancement to a penalty provision; it seeks to establish the previous juvenile adjudication as an element of a new crime committed as an adult, requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt. There are serious constitutional issues surrounding this bill.
HB 145 provides for a change in the Administrative Procedure Act by requiring agencies to notify all members of the legislature, via email, of administrative rule changes and the adoption of fees. Current law already provides for a requirement that the legislative leadership and the appropriate oversight committees of the legislature be notified of these administrative changes. This bill does not provide any additional transparency or oversight and could have significant, though perhaps unintended, effects.
HB 359 would require any election official to obtain the permission of the House and Senate Governmental Affairs Committees before implementing any "federal directive or guidance pertaining to elections without an explicit state or federal directive to do so." The state and local officials should make every effort to encourage people to vote, make it easier for them to vote, and make sure every legal vote is counted. This bill does not further that goal, and it should not become law.
HB 492 contains a provision that provides an immunity, to sheriffs' offices only, for arresting an individual when a written summons was authorized. The effect of this change provides for clear inequitable treatment for law enforcement agencies.
Please note: This concludes bill releases for the 2022 Regular Legislative Session.