HOUSE committee amendments technical

Requires healthcare providers to display evidence of licensure in advertisements and in person, and to enforce penalties for misrepresentation.

Key Changes: 

1. Licensure Display Requirement: 

  - Expands existing law by mandating healthcare providers to display their licensure credentials not only in person but also in any advertisement, including print, electronic, or social media.

2. Use of Title "Doctor" or "Dr.": 

  - Clarifies that healthcare providers using the title "Doctor" or "Dr." must indicate their professional license, degree, or both when presenting themselves to patients. 

  - Enforcement is applicable via licensing board rules or the Louisiana Department of Health. 

3. Penalties and Enforcement: 

  - Violations of advertisement rules (R.S. 51:413) will be subject to enforcement under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, with additional enforcement power granted to licensing boards and the Louisiana Department of Health. 

4. Technical Corrections: 

  - Fixes terminology issues and clarifies language for better consistency across legal provisions. 

Implications: 

- Healthcare providers must clearly present their credentials both in person and in all advertisements. 

- Enhanced consumer protection and clarity regarding the qualifications of healthcare providers. 

- Increased regulatory oversight and enforcement capabilities for state agencies and licensing boards. 

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] add the "Office of Tourism" alongside the Louisiana Charter Boat Association in program references. They remove the proposed fee for permits entirely, eliminate language related to promotion of the program, and clarify that reimbursements for tagged fish apply to establishments but not to charter boat captains.

Expands the Louisiana Catch and Cook Program by allowing licensed charter boat captains to directly provide legally caught fish to participating restaurants.

Current Law: 

Allows restaurants to prepare fish or alligator from recreational fishermen or alligator hunters, but not directly from charter captains. Fish or meat must be cleaned, packaged, labeled, and refrigerated.

Proposed Change: 

Adds charter boat captains and their parties to those authorized to provide fish to restaurants. Clarifies labeling requirements to include the exact time and date of catch, plus the provider’s full address. Introduces a $25 annual permit fee to support program promotion.

Impact: 

Increases access and clarity for program participants, boosts tourism-related services, and provides funding for program outreach.

Exempts sales made through coin-operated vending machines from state and local sales and use taxes. However, dealers must pay sales and use tax when purchasing goods for resale through vending machines. 

Key Points: 

- Exempts consumer purchases from vending machines from sales tax 

- Requires dealers to pay tax when buying inventory for vending machines 

- Shifts tax burden from consumer to vending machine operator 

- Effective July 1, 2025 

Intent: 

Simplifies tax collection by requiring operators to remit tax at the point of purchase rather than at each consumer transaction.

HOUSE floor amendments [LINK] change how revenue from carbon dioxide storage on state agency property is handled. Injection-based revenue from Class VI storage must be sent to the state treasury. Thirty percent of that revenue goes to parish governments where the storage site is located, based on the amount of land affected. The rest goes either to the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund (if collected for that agency) or to the state general fund. Injection-based revenue includes fees and guaranteed payments but does not include bonuses, rentals, or surface use payments. State agencies must file monthly reports showing revenue collected, and parishes can request data to confirm payment amounts. These rules apply only to state-owned property, not local government land. The amendments also make technical and formatting corrections to the bill.

Dedicates revenue from carbon dioxide sequestration activities on state-owned lands, particularly those under the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, with a specific allocation to local parishes and the Conservation Fund.

Key Provisions:

- Applies to carbon dioxide storage and transport on state-owned lands and water bottoms, including property managed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

- 30% of revenue from carbon dioxide sequestration agreements on these lands will go to the local parish governing authority where the property is located; if multiple parishes are involved, revenue is divided proportionally.

- Remaining funds from these agreements will be deposited into:

 - The state general fund (for general state property).

 - The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund (for LDWF-managed property).

- Ensures existing statutory or constitutional dedications of funds, especially those enacted before August 1, 2025, are preserved.

- Clarifies that existing donation agreements for wildlife areas cannot be violated by this new revenue distribution.

HOUSE floor amendment technical

HOUSE committee amendments technical

Expands the retail sale and service options for Louisiana-based brewers and manufacturers by allowing them to sell directly to consumers at farmers markets.

Key Provisions: 

- Retains current law allowing Louisiana brewers to sell or serve products brewed at their facility, on-site, for on- or off-premises consumption (not for resale), subject to a cap of 10% of monthly production or 250 barrels, whichever is greater. 

- Requires brewers to pay applicable state and local taxes and comply with zoning laws. 

Adds new authority for brewers to sell or serve their finished products directly to consumers at farmers markets and similar venues, provided they: 

 - Comply with R.S. 26:286 

 - Notify the commissioner at least five days in advance 

 - Offer products at market prices consistent with the geographic area.