Proposes amendments to R.S. 13:5554(S), concerning the payment of insurance premium costs for retirees of the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.

Key Provisions:

1.    Retirees prior to December 31, 2012:

o  The sheriff's general fund will pay 100% of insurance premiums for retirees who meet either of the following criteria:

• Age 55 or older with at least 24 years of full-time service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.
• Completed 30 years of continuous full-time service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office, regardless of age.

2.    Retirees on or after December 31, 2012:

o  Insurance premium contributions based on service and age:

• 100% if the retiree has completed 30 years of full-time creditable service, primarily with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office, regardless of age.
• 75% if age 55 or older with at least 27 years of full-time creditable service, primarily with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.
• 50% if age 55 or older with at least 23 years of full-time creditable service, primarily with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.

3.    Retirees on or after January 1, 2025:

o  Applicable to those retiring from any sheriff's office in Louisiana, the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, or the Louisiana Sheriff's Pension and Relief Fund who have earned most creditable service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office:

• 100% if the retiree has completed 30 years of full-time creditable service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office, regardless of age.
• 75% if age 55 or older with at least 27 years of full-time creditable service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.
• 50% if age 55 or older with at least 23 years of full-time creditable service with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office.

The bill adjusts financial responsibilities related to retirees' insurance premiums for the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office based on age and length of service.

Prohibits individuals from receiving proceeds from financial instruments (e.g., CDs, IRAs, pension plans, mutual funds) if they are found criminally responsible for or judicially determined to have participated in the intentional, unjustified killing of the account holder. If disqualified, proceeds are redirected to a contingent beneficiary or to the account holder’s estate if no contingent beneficiary exists.

Key Provisions: 

- Applies to financial instruments payable on death, injury, or disablement. 

- A beneficiary is disqualified if: 

 (1) Found criminally responsible by final judgment, or 

 (2) Judicially determined to have participated in the intentional, unjustified killing. 

- Disqualified beneficiaries forfeit all proceeds. 

- Proceeds go to a secondary/contingent beneficiary or, if none, to the estate.

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] allow licensed lenders to choose between two sets of rates for certain consumer loans, define key terms, cap fees to those already authorized, and require annual inflation-based updates to the loan cap. They give the commissioner authority to enforce lending laws, repeal outdated credit union restrictions, and slightly soften borrower notice language about available assistance.

Creates a new regulatory framework for licensed lenders to raise interest rates on predatory small consumer installment loans.

 Key Provisions: 

- Applies to precomputed consumer loans of $5,500 or less. 

- Authorizes a maximum APR of 59% using the actuarial method. 

- Loans must be repaid in substantially equal monthly installments. 

- Prohibits lenders from requiring preauthorized electronic payments or post-dated checks as a condition of credit. 

- Requires clear borrower disclosures and prohibits holding or accepting post-dated checks. 

- Adjusts the maximum loan amount annually based on the Consumer Price Index. 

- Grants the commissioner rulemaking and enforcement authority. 

- Does not apply to loans made primarily for business or commercial purposes.

Current law:

In Louisiana, the maximum APRs allowed for consumer loans under current law are:

- Loans up to $1,400: maximum APR is 36% 

- Portion of loans between $1,400.01 and $4,000: maximum APR is 27% 

- Portion of loans between $4,000.01 and $7,000: maximum APR is 24% 

- Portion of loans exceeding $7,000: maximum APR is 21%

These rates are established under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 9:3519(A). Lenders may also charge a nonrefundable origination fee of $50 and a documentary charge of $20, which are not considered part of the finance charge.

Authorizes the Department of Energy and Natural Resources to charge a fee for expedited processing of applications.

Key Provisions: 

- Requires applicants granted expedited processing to pay a fee in addition to any existing fees. 

- Fee is based on the department's cost for each overtime hour worked on the expedited request, capped at 1.5 times the standard hourly wage (including benefits) of the highest paid eligible employee. 

- An administrative surcharge of up to 20% of the total overtime cost is added, with a minimum of $500. 

- Applicants must also pay for any mailing or delivery services beyond the department’s standard service. 

- The expedited fee is waived if the expedited processing was needed due to an error, mistake, or delay by the department.

HOUSE floor amendments technical in nature except Amendment 4 [LINK] which removes the language requiring enactment of HB594

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK]: require that after constitutional debt obligations are met, dedicated funds be deposited into a special fund for NCAA-member university athletic departments. The Board of Regents must distribute the funds equally among eligible universities. Language is also adjusted for clarity, such as replacing “benefit awards” with “benefits.” The bill only takes effect if HB594 is enacted.

Revises the tax rate for online sports wagering and allocates portions of the revenue to higher education athletic departments and inclusive education programs.

Key Provisions:

• Changes the tax rate on online sports wagering to match the rate used for video draw poker at truck stop facilities.
• Dedicates 25% of the online sports wagering tax revenue to a new fund called the Supporting Programs, Opportunities, Resources, and Teams Fund (SPORT Fund).
• SPORT Fund dollars are appropriated to the Board of Regents and distributed equally to public universities in Louisiana that compete in NCAA Division I football.
• Funds must be used for student athlete benefits such as scholarships, insurance, medical coverage, facility upgrades, litigation settlement fees, and Alston awards.
• Funds cannot replace or displace other awards or scholarships.
• Dedicates an additional 3% of revenue to the Louisiana Postsecondary Inclusive Education Fund.
• Act takes effect only if HB 594 is enacted.

HOUSE floor amendments technical

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] establish an annual retail permit fee of $22,500 for each of the ten authorized therapeutic marijuana retail permit holders. Additionally, the Louisiana Department of Health must collect detailed annual information from each permit holder, including amounts of marijuana produced and distributed, production costs, subcontracting details, therapeutic chemicals produced, and related financial transactions.

Requires an annual fee for therapeutic marijuana retail permits.

Key Provisions:

• Amends existing law to mandate a $5,000 annual permit fee for each retail outlet licensed to sell therapeutic marijuana.
• Fee is collected by the Louisiana Department of Health as part of the annual renewal process.

HOUSE floor amendments [LINK] strip out language that would assess taxes on some nicotine products, to only reinstate tax of four-twentieths of one cent for cigarettes is levied, as specified by the state constitution and was inadvertently stripped out during the special tax session in 2024.

HOUSE committee amendments [LINK] reduce state tobacco taxes for products the FDA classifies as “modified risk.” It cuts the tax by 60% for products with a risk modification order and by 40% for those with an exposure modification order. It also deletes other sections of the original bill and updates legal references.

Continues a portion of the cigarette excise tax in statute and reduces tax rates for certain tobacco products with FDA approval.

Key Provisions:

• Codifies in statute the 4¢ per cigarette tax ($0.80 per pack) currently continued by the Louisiana Constitution (Article VII, §4.1).
• Maintains total cigarette tax at $1.08 per pack; does not raise or lower the overall tax.
• Authorizes a 75% tax rate reduction for “modified risk tobacco products” approved by the FDA under 21 U.S.C. 387k(g).
• Adds or clarifies definitions including “invoice price,” “manufacturer’s net invoiced price,” and “cigarette” (expanded to include heated tobacco).
• Applies to taxable periods beginning July 1, 2025.
• Effective upon governor’s signature or lapse of time.

Creates the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Task Force to study and recommend best practices for managing and reducing the spread of CWD in Louisiana deer populations. The task force includes representatives from state and federal agencies, private industry, landowners, and conservation organizations. A final report with recommendations is due before the 2027 Regular Legislative Session.