As the Louisiana Legislature enters the final stretch of its Regular Session, lawmakers made progress last week on several business community priorities. A major milestone was Senate passage of a package of bills aiming to curb lawsuit payouts and bring down insurance premiums. Additional 1A priority bills to advance included legislation to create two new LED programs aimed at boosting Louisiana’s economic competitiveness and measures to align workforce and social services under a unified system.
Read on for a recap of week six and a look ahead at week seven.
Legal Reform
The full Senate passed a slate of business-backed bills last week aimed at tackling Louisiana’s ongoing insurance crisis, advancing the following legal reform measures toward final passage:
- HB 431 by Rep. Chenevert would shift Louisiana from a pure comparative fault system to a modified comparative fault Under this change, claimants found to be 51% or more at fault for their own injuries would no longer be eligible to recover damages—bringing Louisiana in line with fault standards used in 34 other states. The bill passed the Senate 28-9 and awaits House concurrence on amendments added by Senate Judiciary A.
- HB 434 by Rep. DeWitt would strengthen Louisiana’s “No Pay, No Play” policy by increasing the threshold for uninsured drivers to recover damages after an accident. The minimum thresholds for bodily injury and property damage would rise to $100,000, up from the current $15,000 and $25,000 respectively—further incentivizing compliance with the state’s mandatory insurance law. The bill passed the Senate 28-9 without amendment and has been signed by the Speaker of the House.
- HB 450 by Rep. Melerine would repeal the Housley Presumption—a legal doctrine that assumes an injury was caused by an accident even without direct evidence of causation. Repealing this presumption would level the playing field for defendants and support fairer outcomes in litigation. The bill passed the Senate 28-9 without amendment and has also been signed by the Speaker.
- SB 231 by Sen. Reese aims to increase transparency in the calculation of medical damages in litigation. Senate floor amendments restored the bill’s original intent: to allow courts to consider both the amounts billed and actually paid for medical care, as well as evidence of letters of protection. Additional changes clarify how damages are assessed in cases where plaintiffs pay cash. The bill passed the Senate 27-8 and now heads to the House for consideration.
Together, these bills represent meaningful reforms to Louisiana’s legal system—reforms that support a more competitive insurance market and a more balanced civil justice environment.
Statewide Economic Development
On the other side of the Capitol, the full House passed 1A-supported legislation to create two new LED programs designed to boost Louisiana’s economic competitiveness:
- HB 507 by House Ways & Means Chair Julie Emerson creates the High Impact Jobs Program within Louisiana Economic Development (LED). The program would incentivize qualifying companies to create jobs that pay above the parish average wage and offer a basic health benefits plan, offering a reimbursable grant based on a percentage of annualized wages. A tiered benefit structure would reward higher-paying jobs. The bill passed the House last week by a vote of 88-11 and has been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.
- HB 433 by House Commerce Chair Daryl Deshotel would create the Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund to support enhancements to sites across Louisiana that are primed for economic development. Eligible improvements could include roads, sewer, gas, and other infrastructure—ensuring the state can move quickly when companies are considering Louisiana for new or expanded operations. The bill passed the House 97-1 and has been referred to Senate Finance.
Workforce Development
The House also passed two measures to streamline Louisiana’s workforce system by aligning workforce and social services. The pair of 1A-supported bills would implement a “One Door to Work” strategy—giving job seekers a single, coordinated point of access for career counseling, training opportunities, job placement, and support services. This approach is designed to help more Louisianans move from dependency to self-sufficiency.
- HB 624 by Rep. Berault would transfer workforce and family support programs currently housed in the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), which would be rebranded as Louisiana Works.
- HB 617 by Rep. Carver would reorganize DCFS to improve agency efficiency and coordination, laying the groundwork for the streamlined service delivery envisioned in HB 624.
Both bills passed the House 98-0 and now await action in the Senate.
LOOKING AHEAD
With the session set to adjourn on June 12, important work remains in the final weeks, including Senate consideration of the all-important state budget.
Bills scheduled for action today (May 27) include:
- HB 365 by Rep. Daryl Deshotel – As amended, authorizes the Legislature—subject to appropriation—to make a one-time payment to parishes that choose to exempt business inventory from ad valorem taxes. Alternatively, allows a parish to reduce the fair market value of inventory for tax purposes, but once reduced, the valuation cannot be raised again. HB 365 passed the House by a vote of 93-0 and is scheduled for final passage on the Senate floor today. 1A supports this bill.
- HB 613 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu – Creates the Acadiana Regional Airport and LeMaire Memorial Airport District as an independent political subdivision of the state. As amended, the creation of the district would require approval by both a majority vote of the Iberia Parish Council and the Federal Aviation Administration. It would be governed by a seven-member board appointed by the Iberia Parish Council. HB 613 passed the House 89-1 and is scheduled for Senate floor action today. 1A supports this bill.
- SB 161 by Sen. Beth Mizell – Builds on momentum initiated during the 2024 Regular Session to advance reorganization within Louisiana Economic Development (LED), strengthening the department as a business-first, best-in-class economic development agency. Notably, the bill formally establishes the LED Innovation Fund and grants LED authority to purchase, sublease, or sell property—with proceeds directed to site development. SB 161 passed the Senate unanimously and is scheduled to be heard in the House Commerce Committee today. 1A supports this bill.
- SB 44 by Sen. Jay Luneau – Eliminates the transferability and refundability of certain income tax credits. While 1A opposes this bill overall, we supported an amendment adopted by Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs that removed its applicability to the Digital Media and Software Development Tax Credit and the Research & Development Tax Credit. We continue to monitor the bill closely to ensure these important economic development tools remain protected. SB 44 passed the Senate 22-15, as amended, and is scheduled to be heard in House Ways & Means today.
1A is tracking key legislation across three priority areas:
- Economic competitiveness
- Talent development
- Infrastructure investment
Be on the lookout for 1A legislative updates on these issues, and more, at the beginning of each week during Session.