Beryl Amedee — House - District 51
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Live from the 2025 Regular Session
(1400 House floor votes analyzed - so far...)
Upcoming Committee Hearings
Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development Committee
🏛 House📅 No upcoming hearing scheduled
🕗 Bills Pending: 2
Sponsored Bills
HB371: Provides relative to the free exercise of religion
Last Action: Effective date: 06/20/2025.
Date: 2025-06-20
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Co-sponsors: Mike Bayham (R) Stephanie Berault (R) Dewith Carrier (R) Kim Carver (R) Emily Chenevert (R) Vincent Cox (R) Raymond Crews (R) Phillip DeVillier (R) Kathy Edmonston (R) Peter Egan (R) Gabe Firment (R) Brian Glorioso (R) Dodie Horton (R) Shane Mack (R) Danny McCormick (R) Pat Moore (D) Charles Owen (R) Rodney Schamerhorn (R) Phillip Tarver (R) Sylvia Taylor (D) Lauren Ventrella (R) Roger Wilder (R) John Wyble (R) Valarie Hodges (R)
...and 19 more.
📅 Not Scheduled
HB419: Creates the crime of intentional exposure to a self-spreading pathogen (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
Last Action: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Date: 2025-04-14
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Pending: 🏛 Administration of Criminal Justice 61 📅 Not Scheduled
Purpose:
Creates a new criminal offense in Louisiana law for the intentional exposure of another person to a self-spreading pathogen without their knowing and lawful consent.
Definition:
A self-spreading pathogen is defined as any engineered virus or bacteria, including recombinant, attenuated, or modified versions, or any virus-like or bacteria-like particles capable of human-to-human transmission.
Penalties:
Fine: Up to $5,000.
Imprisonment: Up to 10 years, with or without hard labor.
Both fine and imprisonment may be applied.
Intent:
This bill aims to criminalize the deliberate exposure of others to potentially harmful engineered biological agents, enhancing public health safety by addressing modern bioengineering risks.
HB555: Provides relative to medical intervention (EG INCREASE SD RV See Note)
Last Action: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
Date: 2025-04-14
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Co-sponsors: Danny McCormick (R)
Pending: 🏛 Health and Welfare 47 📅 Not Scheduled
Establishes the "Louisiana Medical Freedom Act" to protect individuals from being compelled to receive medical interventions, including vaccinations, or face discrimination for refusing them.
Key Provisions:
- Declares the right of individuals to refuse any medical intervention for themselves or dependents without interference.
- Prohibits government entities from conditioning employment, licensure, services, or access to public buildings on medical intervention status.
- Prohibits private businesses from requiring medical interventions as a condition of employment or denying access, products, or services based on intervention status.
- Bans face mask mandates by public and private entities, with exceptions for occupational safety requirements as defined by the Louisiana Department of Health.
- Establishes statutory damages of at least $5,000 per violation and allows prevailing parties to recover legal costs.
This bill supports individual medical autonomy and prevents discrimination based on personal health decisions.
HR311: Requests the Louisiana Department of Health to assess information regarding restorative reproductive health practices
Last Action: Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
Date: 2025-06-11
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Co-sponsors: Daryl Adams (D) Tony Bacala (R) Mike Bayham (R) Rhonda Butler (R) Kimberly Coates (R) Raymond Crews (R) Danny McCormick (R) Charles Owen (R) Rodney Schamerhorn (R) Joy Walters (D)
...and 5 more.
📅 Not Scheduled
HB670: Assesses fees on remittances of money to foreign countries and dedicates proceeds of the fees
Last Action: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Date: 2025-04-24
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Pending: 🏛 Commerce 40 📅 Not Scheduled
Imposes fees on money transmissions sent outside the United States and dedicates proceeds to a new state fund for human trafficking prevention and victim services.
Key Provisions:
- Requires licensed money transmitters in Louisiana to collect:
- $5 fee on transfers under $500 to foreign countries.
- $5 plus 5% of the amount over $500 for larger transfers.
- Fees are in addition to existing charges and must be remitted quarterly to the Commissioner of Financial Institutions.
- Creates the “Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Services Fund” in the state treasury.
- All collected fees are deposited into this fund for exclusive use on trafficking prevention and victim services.
- Noncompliance may result in license suspension.
HB193: Provides relative to lawsuit procedures for incarcerated individuals
Last Action: Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.
Date: 2025-05-21
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Pending: 🏛 Judiciary A 18 📅 Not Scheduled
HOUSE floor amendments technical
Implications: seeks to clarify and enforce the procedural requirements for prisoner lawsuits in Louisiana, emphasizing the necessity of exhausting administrative remedies and outlining the consequences of failing to adhere to these procedures.
Proposes amendments to Louisiana Revised Statute 15:1184(A)(2), which governs the procedures for lawsuits filed by incarcerated individuals. The key provisions of the bill are as follows:
- Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: The bill maintains the requirement that prisoners must exhaust all available administrative remedies before asserting a claim under state law. If a prisoner files a suit without fulfilling this requirement, the court is mandated to dismiss the suit. Importantly, the bill specifies that such a dismissal does not interrupt the prescription period (the statute of limitations) for filing the claim.
- Abandonment of Claims: The bill introduces a provision stating that if a prisoner fails to initiate or pursue administrative remedies within the deadlines established by R.S. 15:1172(B) or LAC 22:I.325, the claim is considered abandoned. Any subsequent suit asserting the same claim will be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the claim cannot be refiled.
- Ongoing Administrative Remedies: If the administrative remedy process is still ongoing and incomplete at the time a prisoner files a suit, the bill requires the court to dismiss the suit without prejudice, allowing the prisoner to refile once the administrative process is concluded.
- Peremptory Exception: The bill allows for the failure to exhaust administrative remedies to be raised by a peremptory exception under Code of Civil Procedure Article 927. A peremptory exception is a legal mechanism used to have a case dismissed on specific grounds before it proceeds to trial.
HB246: Provides relative to the salary schedule for employees of the Jimmy D. Long, Sr. School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) and for the funding of these salaries (EN NO IMPACT See Note)
Last Action: Effective date: 08/01/2025.
Date: 2025-06-08
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
Seeks to amend R.S. 17:1964(D)(5) concerning the Jimmy D. Long, Sr. Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA). This amendment mandates the LSMSA board of directors to establish a salary schedule for teachers and other school employees in accordance with R.S. 17:418, ensuring alignment with statewide standards for educator compensation. The bill specifies that the funding for these salaries will be sourced from monies appropriated by the legislature.
R.S. 17:418 outlines criteria for salary schedules, emphasizing factors such as effectiveness, demand, and experience, with no single criterion accounting for more than 50% of the formula used to compute salaries. By adhering to these guidelines, LSMSA aims to standardize compensation practices with other state schools.
The proposed legislation underscores the state's commitment to equitable and transparent salary structures for educators, ensuring that LSMSA's compensation practices are consistent with those of other Louisiana public schools.
HB39: Provides relative to the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority
Last Action: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
Date: 2025-04-14
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
Pending: 🏛 Municipal 52 📅 Not Scheduled
Enacts R.S. 40:537(A)(7) and (B)(3) to modify the governance of the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority. It grants the parish president authority to remove any commissioner, except tenant commissioners, without cause—expanding beyond the current law (R.S. 40:537(A)(1)), which limits removal to neglect of duty, misconduct, or felony conviction. The removal process requires the parish president to send a notice to the commissioner and a copy to the board, with removal effective upon receipt or 10 days after the notice date, whichever is later. This change increases the parish president’s control over the housing authority’s board, allowing discretionary removals without justification, except for tenant representatives. It simplifies the process compared to existing requirements (e.g., no appeal hearing mandated), potentially streamlining governance but raising concerns about accountability or arbitrary decisions.
HR153: Recognizes May 14, 2025, as Homeschool Day at the state capitol
Last Action: Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
Date: 2025-05-14
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HR263: Commends the members and volunteers of the 2025 Concerned Women for America of Louisiana's Encourage-A-Legislator Project
Last Action: Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
Date: 2025-06-04
Author: Beryl Amedee (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HOUSE floor amendments [LINK] authorize "home study education cooperatives," allowing parents with children in approved home study programs to collectively meet for academic, enrichment, or athletic purposes. They clarify exemptions for such cooperatives and similar religious enrichment programs ("mother's day out") from certain regulations, provided they operate no more than 24 hours per week. Additionally, the definition of "camp" is revised to explicitly include Vacation Bible Schools or Bible Camps.
HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] expand protections for religious freedom by preventing government from restricting the use of churches for religious education, meetings, or activities like Bible camps if the building meets safety codes. It defines key terms, outlines legal remedies, and adds a new provision to protect gatherings related to homeschooling. It also makes the bill effective upon the governor’s signature.
Seeks to amend R.S. 13:5233 of the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act. The proposed legislation mandates that the government provide the highest level of protection to places of worship, such as churches, synagogues, and temples. Additionally, it prohibits the government from imposing restrictions on these religious institutions that are more severe than those applied to any secular business, service, or assembly.
Under this strict scrutiny standard, the government must:
1. Demonstrate a compelling governmental interest for restricting religious activities.
2. Ensure any restriction is narrowly tailored, meaning it must use the least restrictive means available.
3. Religious institutions cannot face restrictions harsher than those applied to secular entities.