HOUSE NOTES

Louisiana House of Representatives Communications Office 2014 Regular Session Week One, March 14, 2014

House Speaker Chuck Kleckley welcomed members back to the Capitol on Monday, March 10, for the 2014 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the third regular session over which he has presided since being elected Speaker in January, 2012. The session began with the swearingin ceremony of new member Ebony Woodruff, who represents House District 87 in Jefferson Parish. Governor Jindal addressed the Joint Session and spoke on familiar themes of recruiting and retaining businesses and workforce development. The governor discussed his proposal to increase Louisiana's higher education budget, and also said he wants to focus this session on human trafficking and tort reform. To date, 1,032 House bills and 559 Senate bills have been prefiled, including a total of 57 proposed constitutional amendments. Since the subject matter of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session is general in nature, a wide variety of issues will be debated. However, no measure involving state taxes or tax credits can be heard. Bills that have generated public interest include: SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES Several prestige licenses plates gained

House Transportation Committee approval this week and await consideration by the full House. House Bill 146 creates the "Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana" license plate. The $25 annual royalty fee would be deposited in the "Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana Account" within the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund, and used by Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana to pay for the processing and distribution of meats to nonprofit or charitable organizations. House Bill 257 creates the "Louisiana Golf Association" special prestige license plate. The $25 annual royalty fee collected by the Department of Public Safety would be forwarded to the Louisiana Golf Association, or its successor organization, to be used for growth of the game initiatives, including, but not limited to, junior golf in Louisiana. House Bill 317 creates the "U.S. Army Ranger" military honor license plate for U.S. Army Ranger member applicants. The bill requires that each military honor license plate issued shall be returned upon the applicant's death, but a surviving spouse may retain the license plate. Further, the legislation specifies that a military honor license plate transferred to a surviving spouse shall be returned upon the death or remarriage of the surviving spouse. House Bill 323 creates the "Down

Syndrome Awareness" specialty license plate. The $30 royalty fee would be used solely to promote advocacy and public awareness for persons with Down syndrome and their families. House Bill 366 creates the "Distinguished Service Cross Recipient" military honor license plate for Distinguished Service Cross recipients. Each license plate must be returned upon the applicant's death, but may be retained by a surviving spouse. The legislation further provides that the plate be returned upon the death or remarriage of the surviving spouse. House Bill 800 creates an HIV/AIDS awareness special prestige license plate. The annual $25 royalty fee would be used solely for programs administered by the Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network. House Bill 818 creates the "George Rodrigue Foundation" special prestige plate. The plate's $30 royalty fee will be used by the foundation to plan, develop, and implement a series of unique educational art programs designed to enhance and expand art curriculums and expose children to education in the arts. House Bill 825 creates the "Louisiana Master Gardener" special prestige license plate. The annual royalty fee of $10 would be used to develop and enhance community programs related to horticulture, environmental improvement activities, community and school garden programs and public horticultural events. House Bill 902 creates the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation special prestige license plate. The legislation provides that the $30 annual royalty fee be forwarded to the Louisiana Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and used to improve the lives of all people affected by Type 1 diabetes. House Bill 935 creates the "Lung

Cancer Alliance" specialty license plate. The annual $50 royalty fee shall be forwarded to the Lung Cancer Alliance to be solely for programs established and administered by the alliance in Louisiana. House Bill 965 creates a domestic violence awareness special prestige license plate. The plate's design, to be selected by the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, shall include the letters "LCADV." The legislation specifies that the plate's $30 royalty fee would be used by the coalition to eliminate domestic violence through public education, systems change, social change and public policy. House Bill 304 creates the "Louisiana Cattlemen's Association" special license plate. The $25 dollar annual royalty fee would be used solely to coordinate junior cattlemen education and activities, beef promotion and producer education. E-MAIL SHARING House Bill 324, pending consideration by the full House, would authorize the disclosure of electronic mail addresses or short message service numbers by the secretary of state or any employee or official of the Department of State to other government agencies. However, the legislation prohibits the disclosure of such electronic mail addresses or short message service numbers by the receiving entity or person, and requires that those officials maintain the confidentiality of such information. ELECTION CODE House Bill 383, pending House floor action, makes multiple technical changes to the election code. The proposed legislation would allow assigning commissioners based on the number

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of eligible voters in the election instead of the number of voters in the precinct. Another change would provide that after commissioners-in-charge are selected, the clerks of court shall enter the list in the state voter registration system instead of mailing them. Another change authorizes the secretary of state to eliminate the duplicate form for payroll affidavit in favor of a single form. Also, HB383 would give registrar of voters the discretion to set days and hours for early voting in additional early voting locations. SELF DIRECT SERVICE WORKERS/BAILEY'S LAW House Bill 185 revises criteria for direct service workers who provide long-term personal care and support services to persons with disabilities or who are elderly. The proposed law clarifies that the medication administration requirements of the direct service worker statute do not apply to individuals in Department of Health and Hospitals home and community-based programs who self-direct their services, meaning they hire an individual of their choice to provide in-home support rather than going through a specific provider agency to access care. The proposed law specifies that HB185 shall be known as "Bailey's Law," in recognition of the advocacy efforts on behalf of persons with disabilities inspired by Bailey Caroline Durham of East Feliciana Parish. HB185 is pending House floor consideration. HIGHER ED House Bill 588, a proposed constitutional amendment, would require

members of the postsecondary education management boards and the Board of Regents to have qualifications provided by law, and would authorize the legislature to implement the qualification criteria for selecting board members. House Bill 433 would authorize the Board of Regents to enter into state authorization reciprocity agreements that allow proprietary schools and accredited academic degree-granting institutions located in one member state to offer online instruction in other member states. Additionally, the bill allows institutions or proprietary schools located in Louisiana to apply to the Board of Regents for authorization to offer online instruction in other member states. The legislation requires annual reapplication and authorizes Regents to assess an application fee of up to $1,500. House Bill 433 awaits action by the full House. FUNDRAISERS/FIREARMS House Bill 244 provides terms for leases of property at public colleges or universities for fundraiser events when the events include the auctioning and sale of firearms. The legislation provides that the lease may authorize and provide for the auction and sale of firearms at the event if the following conditions are met: (1) The firearms to be auctioned are exhibited in a static display. (2) Campus security is present at the event. (3) The event shall be held indoors. (4) The firearms to be auctioned are equipped with a safety lock or other safety feature that renders the firearm non-operational. House Bill 244 awaits action by the full House.

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