Proposes amendments to Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1598(A) and (B) concerning insurance referrals and related compensation.

Key Provisions:

1.    Expanded Referral Methods:

o  Current Law: Allows unlicensed individuals to refer customers to licensed insurance professionals via telephone number.

o  Proposed Amendment: Extends permissible referral methods to include electronic mail addresses, websites, and direct referrals to insurance companies, including their affiliates or partners.

2.    Compensation Restrictions:

o  Current Law: Prohibits referral compensation in the form of sales commissions or based on the customer's application for insurance.

o  Proposed Amendment: Clarifies that compensation cannot be based on the referred individual's eventual purchase of insurance.

Implications:

These amendments aim to modernize referral practices by incorporating digital communication channels, reflecting current technological trends. Additionally, the bill seeks to ensure that referral compensation structures remain unbiased and not contingent upon the outcome of the referral, promoting ethical practices in insurance referrals.

Increases the maximum number of pari-mutuel or offtrack wagering facilities licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission that may operate video draw poker devices in Jefferson Parish from 5 to 6. Affected Statute: R.S. 27:415(B) 

HOUSE floor amendment [LINK] simplifies language to clearly establish mandatory retirement age at 75 for judges and removes references to judicial retirement system.

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] judges must mandatorily retire upon reaching the age of seventy. Specifically, they insert explicit references to a judge’s seventieth birthday as the trigger for mandatory retirement, tightening the original language to ensure clear age-based retirement criteria. The amendments remove ambiguous phrasing and reinforce the age requirement consistently throughout the bill.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Proposes amending Article V, Section 23(B) of the Louisiana Constitution to remove the mandatory retirement age of 70 for judges, replacing it with a limit tied to reaching 100% of their final average compensation from the judicial retirement system. Judges turning 70 mid-term can finish their term. Applicable to those sworn in on or after January 1, 1997, it requires two-thirds legislative approval and voter ratification on November 3, 2026, or earlier if authorized. It shifts retirement from age-based to compensation-based, extending judicial tenure potential.