SENATE committee amendments [LINK] requires sharing of Social Security numbers and other information with the commission, reintroducing SSNs into the data-sharing language. This reverses earlier House changes that avoided SSN use and could raise privacy and data security concerns.

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] Replaces all references to the "Investment Council" with "Commission" and clarifies that student data must include names and unique student ID numbers [not social security numbers] matched to test scores and related information.

Mandates the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council (WIC) to conduct an annual return on investment (ROI) analysis. This analysis aims to assess the correlation between industry-based credentials earned by high school students and their subsequent employment in high-wage, high-demand occupations aligned with state workforce priorities. The WIC is required to submit a report of its findings to the House and Senate Committees on Education and Labor, as well as the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, by February 1 each year. To facilitate this analysis, the bill requires public high school governing authorities to collect students' Social Security numbers, with appropriate permissions, and share them with the state Department of Education, which will then provide the data to the WIC. The bill ensures that all personally identifiable information is kept confidential and reported only in aggregate form.

Proposes an amendment to Louisiana's Code of Criminal Procedure regarding the discharge of bail obligations. The bill allows a surety to be fully released from bail obligations if they can provide proof of the defendant’s deportation.

The surety may submit this proof before the defendant’s failure to appear or within 180 days after a warrant notice is issued. If obtaining such proof is difficult, the surety or the court can initiate a hearing to establish the defendant’s deportation. If the court confirms the deportation, the surety is entirely relieved of liability.

This measure clarifies and formalizes a process to prevent bail forfeiture in cases involving deported defendants.

HOUSE committee amendments 2&3 [LINK] require the Advisory Council to identify programs eligible for TOPS-Tech awards, considering M.J. Foster Promise Program criteria, and allow students to qualify for the TOPS-Tech Early Start Award by meeting ACT, WorkKeys, or Board of Regents dual enrollment standards.

HOUSE floor amendment technical

Proposes amendments to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) in Louisiana. The bill seeks to align the programs eligible for TOPS Tech and TOPS Tech Early Start awards with those recognized as qualified programs under the M.J. Foster Promise Program.

Key provisions of the bill include:

1. TOPS Tech Award Eligibility: The bill specifies that students eligible for a TOPS Tech Award and enrolled in associate's degree or shorter-term training programs aligned with state workforce priorities, as determined by the advisory council pursuant to R.S. 17:3047.1, will receive an award amount equivalent to the tuition charged during the 2016-2017 academic year. If a program is later deemed misaligned with workforce priorities, students already enrolled can continue to use the award.
2. TOPS Tech Early Start Award Eligibility: The bill outlines that the TOPS Tech Early Start Award can be applied to technical or applied courses leading to an Industry-Based Certification, Certificate of Applied Science, or Certificate of Technical Sciences offered by Louisiana public or nonpublic postsecondary institutions or recognized training providers. These programs must be approved as qualified programs by the advisory council pursuant to R.S. 17:3047.1.

The proposed changes would take effect for awards beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

House Bill No. 372, introduced in the 2025 Regular Session by Representative Hughes, proposes adjustments to the implementation timeline for computer science education requirements in Louisiana high schools. Specifically, the bill seeks to delay the mandate for students to complete a one-unit computer science course for high school graduation from the cohort entering ninth grade in the 2026-2027 school year to those beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Additionally, the bill aims to align this updated timeline with the core curriculum requirements for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) awards.

The proposed changes also include corresponding amendments to prior legislation to ensure consistency in this implementation timeline across educational statutes.

Why??

HOUSE floor amendment technical naming the bill after Caleb Wilson who died as a result of an alleged hazing incident.

Implications:

Creates the Hazing Prevention Task Force to evaluate Louisiana's anti-hazing laws and college hazing prevention policies in the wake of a hazing death at Southern University.

Key Provisions:

• Forms a 26-member task force (lawmakers, education leaders, students, faculty).
• Reviews current anti-hazing laws and campus policies.
• Considers national best practices for hazing prevention.
• Engages student focus groups for feedback.
• Reports findings and recommendations to the legislature by January 31, 2026.