Josh Carlson — House - District 43
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Live from the 2025 Regular Session
(1400 House floor votes analyzed - so far...)
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Sponsored Bills
HR356: Commends Broussard Mayor Ray Bourque, Jr., on his appointment as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association for the 2025-2026 term
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: 2025-06-13
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
Co-sponsors: Tehmi Chassion (D)
Pending: 👨⚖️ Floor Vote 📅 Mon, Jun 1 at 9:00 AM
HB449: Provides relative to fees reasonably expected to be earned by an attorney
Last Action: Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.
Date: 2025-04-30
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
Co-sponsors: Dennis Bamburg (R) Stephanie Berault (R) Beth Billings (R) Kim Carver (R) Emily Chenevert (R) Kimberly Coates (R) Vincent Cox (R) Jason DeWitt (R) Jessica Domangue (R) Kathy Edmonston (R) Peter Egan (R) Jay Galle (R) Brian Glorioso (R) Troy Hebert (R) Chance Henry (R) Dixon McMakin (R) Michael Melerine (R) Christopher Turner (R) Roger Wilder (R) John Wyble (R)
...and 15 more.
Pending: 🏛 Judiciary A 18 📅 Not Scheduled
HOUSE floor amendments technical
HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] make the required information discoverable. Voids non-disclosures on this provision and requires an officer of the court with knowledge of violations to file a complaint with the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.
Requires attorneys to disclose to the court if they reasonably expect to earn $1,000 or more in fees from a case, either personally or through a business entity.
Key Provisions:
- Applies to attorney fees expected to be equal to or exceed $1,000
- Disclosure must be filed with the court
- Failure to comply may result in court sanctions
- Clerk of court must file a complaint with the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board
Effective: Upon enactment
Citation: Adds R.S. 37:218(C)
HB425: Provides relative to coerced abortion (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
Last Action: Effective date: 08/01/2025.
Date: 2025-06-11
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] expand the crime of extortion to include threats that pressure a pregnant woman to have an abortion and any other general threats of harm. Defines physical force or intimidation to include battery, assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and extortion. Removes earlier language about mandatory reporting.
Amends Louisiana laws regarding coerced abortion, expanding definitions and increasing the scope of reporting requirements.
Key Changes
1. Definition Expansion:
- Changes the standard from “intentionally” to “knowingly” engaging in coercive acts.
- Broadens the definition of coercion to include control and intimidation beyond physical force.
- Specifies various forms of coercion, including:
- Exploitation of needs (food, shelter, affection, etc.)
- Exploitation of mental health or substance dependency.
- Threats of legal action, interference with parental rights, or blackmail.
- Promises of legal or financial rewards.
- Interference with communication or education.
2. Penalties:
- Maximum fine of $5,000.
- Imprisonment for up to 5 years, with or without hard labor.
3. Reporting Requirements:
- Mandated reporters must report suspected coerced abortion crimes to local law enforcement immediately or by the end of the business day.
- Removes the requirement that reports be made only if the victim is present at an outpatient abortion facility.
- Expands mandatory reporting to cover a broader scope of crimes, including crimes against nature.
- Eliminates the provision that required reports to be made to law enforcement in the parish of the victim’s residence if different from the facility's location.
Implications:
- Broader protection for pregnant women against coercion.
- Increased responsibility for mandatory reporters to act quickly and without restriction to location.
- More comprehensive definitions of coercion enhance the ability to prosecute coercive acts.
- Potential for more criminal cases related to coerced abortions due to expanded definitions and mandatory reporting requirements.
HB466: Requires school systems to provide a salary increase for teachers and other school employees using savings attributable to the state's payment of certain unfunded accrued liability of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)
Last Action: Effective date: See Act.
Date: 2025-06-20
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
Co-sponsors: Beryl Amedee (R) Tony Bacala (R) Mike Bayham (R) Stephanie Berault (R) Ken Brass (D) Kim Carver (R) Tehmi Chassion (D) Raymond Crews (R) Daryl Deshotel (R) Phillip DeVillier (R) Kellee Dickerson (R) Kathy Edmonston (R) Julie Emerson (R) Barbara Freiberg (R) Denise Marcelle (D) Michael Melerine (R) Pat Moore (D) Charles Owen (R) Laurie Schlegel (R) Joseph Stagni (R) Sylvia Taylor (D) Joy Walters (D) Gerald Boudreaux (D) Rick Edmonds (R) Michael Fesi (R) Jimmy Harris (D) Blake Miguez (R) Larry Selders (D) Jeremy Stine (R) Glen Womack (R)
...and 25 more.
📅 Not Scheduled
NOTE these are part of the reduction of debt through payoff of retirement system debt. Requires locals to use funds for the education system pay raises.
SENATE committee amendments [LINK] also require permanent raises for all school staff, including those on leave, without reducing existing pay. Charter schools in the retirement system must comply. Schools must report raise implementation and use of extra funds. Technology is added as an allowed expense.
HOUSE floor amendment technical
HOUSE Education committee amendment technical
Requires public school systems to provide permanent salary increases to teachers and other school employees using savings from reduced retirement contributions.
Key Provisions:
- Mandates a minimum salary increase of $2,000 for certificated personnel and $1,000 for noncertificated personnel.
- Increases must be funded using savings from reduced employer contributions to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL), due to the state paying off certain unfunded liabilities.
- If savings are insufficient, the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) will cover the shortfall.
- If savings exceed the required amount, excess funds may only be used for:
- Hiring in critical shortage areas (e.g., SPED, math, science)
- Summer enrichment programs
- Early childhood education
- School security enhancements
- Applies to employees eligible for the FY 2023-2024 MFP proposed pay raise and who received stipends in FY 2024-2025.
- Becomes effective only if a related constitutional amendment is approved by voters.
Purpose: Redirects employer contribution savings from state-paid TRSL debt to increase compensation for public school employees.
HB527: Provides relative to the classified police service in the city of Lafayette
Last Action: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
Date: 2025-04-14
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
Pending: 🏛 Municipal 52 📅 Not Scheduled
Revises civil service rules for Lafayette Police, creating a new process for appointing majors and limiting existing promotion rules to ranks of lieutenant and captain.
Key Changes:
- Promotion lists based on seniority now apply only to lieutenant and captain.
- Establishes a new process for appointing majors:
- Sergeants or above may take a competitive exam.
- Police chief selects from passing candidates for a one-year term.
- Term is renewable annually without retesting; chief may demote without appeal.
- Demotion from major does not affect seniority.
- Majors may take promotional exams for higher ranks but are not eligible for promotion unless demoted back.
- Applies only to those appointed or on probation as major on or after July 1, 2025.
Effective: July 1, 2025
HB123: Provides relative to deferral of costs and fees associated with electronic filing requirements (EN NO IMPACT See Note)
Last Action: Effective date: 08/01/2025.
Date: 2025-06-08
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HOUSE committee amendment specifically adds third party vendors to the filing fee deferment.
Proposes changes to Louisiana law regarding the deferral of court costs by governmental entities. It expands the definition of "court costs" to include electronic filing fees and related service charges. The bill eliminates the requirement for governmental entities to pay deferred costs within 30 days of a final judgment. Instead, payment is deferred until the judgment is non-appealable or all issues in the case are resolved. It also allows the government to deduct court costs from settlement payments before remitting them to litigants. The bill primarily affects how and when governmental entities settle financial obligations in litigation.
HB137: Authorizes psychologists and medical psychologists to evaluate a patient via telehealth for emergency certificates
Last Action: Effective date: 08/01/2025.
Date: 2025-06-08
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
Proposes an amendment to R.S. 28:53(B)(1) of Louisiana law. This statute governs the process for issuing emergency certificates for individuals in need of immediate mental health care. The amendment would expand the list of professionals authorized to conduct emergency evaluations via telehealth to include psychologists and medical psychologists, in addition to psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners.
An emergency health evaluation is a medical or psychological assessment conducted to determine if a person is in immediate need of care due to a mental health crisis, substance-related disorder, or other urgent health concern. This evaluation is typically performed by a licensed healthcare professional, such as a physician, psychologist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner, to assess whether the individual poses a danger to themselves or others or is unable to function due to their condition. Based on the findings, the evaluator may issue an emergency certificate, allowing for temporary admission to a treatment facility for further care.
HCR70: Designates June 3, 2025, as Parks and Recreation 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: 2025-05-30
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
Co-sponsors: Vincent Cox (R) Regina Barrow (D)
📅 Not Scheduled
HR196: Commends Bruce Gilcrease for his work with The Outreach Center of Lafayette
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: 2025-05-23
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HR197: Commends Natalie Meyers and the staff of the Academy of Christian Arts for their contributions to Acadiana youth
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: 2025-05-23
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HR320: Requests the state Department of Education, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, and postsecondary education management boards to promote artificial intelligence education for students and to encourage professional development relative to artificial intelligence for faculty and staff
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: 2025-06-13
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
HR338: Requests the Department of Insurance to study the impact on automobile insurance rates when bodily injury claimants submit medical treatment claims for accident-related injuries to out-of-network providers rather than in-network providers
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: 2025-06-13
Author: Josh Carlson (R)
📅 Not Scheduled
Josh Carlson is our guy