The newest policy and legislative developments in Louisiana education, summarized and annotated by Orleans Public Education Network. This is a still-developing list and will be continually updated throughout the session. This is not a full list of all movements up before the legislature; to access that list, please click here.
Highlighted in red are bills we feel may contain harmful, ineffective or inequitable policy outcomes; in yellow are bills that are still developing and/or should be closely watched; and in green are bills OPEN supports in line with its values of equity, transparency, and justice.
The Education Committee and other legislators are meeting now in Baton Rouge — time to make your voice heard. Got an opinion about these bills? Use our Find My Education Policymaker page to easily get their contact information!
MAY 24 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
We’ve been tracking the progress of bills as they make their way through the legislative process! Click the titles to jump to their summary and full text.
• HB199: Sent to Governor
• HB387: Sent to Governor
• SB89: Sent to Governor
• HB498: Signed by the Governor, Act 168
• HB509: Sent to Governor
• HB650: Signed by the President
• SB224: Sent to Governor
• SB303: Involuntarily deferred in House Education
• HB294: Sent to Governor
• HB616: Sent to Governor
• HB95: Substitute adopted on Senate floor. Became SB562
• SB107: Sent to Governor
• SB152: Sent to Governor
• SB452: Sent to Governor
MAY 15 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• SB89: Considered 5/15
• HB199: Adopted in House concurrence
• HB387: Pending in house concurrence, Scheduled for 5/16
• HB498: Sent to Governor
• HB499: Involuntarily deferred in House Education
• HB509: Pending in house concurrence, Scheduled for 5/16
• HB513: Considered 5/10
• HB650: Pending State Finance, Scheduled 5/16
• SB224: Sent to Governor
• HB144: Considered 5/15
• HB294: Sent to Governor
• HB399: Failed House final passage
• HB413: Failed House final passage
• HB418: Failed House final passage
• HB616: Sent to Governor
• SB107: Considered 5/15
• SB152: Considered 5/15
• SB452: Pending House final passage, Scheduled for 5/16
MAY 8 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• HB387: Considered 5/8
• HB161: Considered 5/7
• SB224: Scheduled 5/9
• SB253: Considered 5/8
• HB294: Scheduled for 5/9
• HB343: Considered 5/3
• HB616: Considered 5/8
• SB452: Considered 5/8
MAY 1 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• SB381: Considered 4/19
• HB294: Considered 4/30
• HB399: Scheduled 3/1
• HB413: Failed House final passage
• HB418: Failed House final passage
• HB575: Substitute adopted on the House floor. Became HB895
• SB452: Considered 4/30
• SB244: Passed final House passage
• HB487: House final passage, Considered 4/30
APRIL 24 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• HB344: Notice given subject to call – House final passage. Scheduled for 4/24.
• HB513: Considered 4/23
• HB650: Considered 4/20
• HB144: Considered 4/23
• HB284: Considered 4/19
• HB294: Considered 4/19
• HB399: Considered 4/17
• HB418: Failed house final passage
• HB587: Considered 4/11
• SB380: Considered 4/17
• HB284: Considered 4/19
• HB294: Considered 4/19
• SB95: Substitute adopted on the Senate floor. Became SB562
• SB380: Considered 4/17
• SB452: Considered 4/17
APRIL 17 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• SB89: Senate final passage, Scheduled 4/16/18
• SB381: Considered 4/12/18
• SB55: Considered 4/5/18
• SB298: Considered 4/12/18
• SB301: Considered 3/22/18
• SB95: Considered 4/12/18
• SB107: Considered 4/12/18
• SB345: Considered 4/12/18
• HB344: Scheduled 4/17/2018
• HB499: Considered 4/4/2018
• HB105: Pending House final passage, Scheduled 4/18/2018
• HB413: Scheduled for 4/17/2018
• HB414: Scheduled for 4/17/2018
• HB587: Considered 4/11/2018
• HB618: Considered 4/7/18
APRIL 10 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
• HB199: Considered April 2
• HB344: Considered April 10
• HB387: Considered April 10
• SB89: Considered March 22
• SB228: Considered March 22
• HB498: Hearing scheduled April 12
• HB499: Considered April 4
• HB509: Considered April 9
• HB284: Considered April 9
• HB343: Considered April 10
• HB413: Hearing scheduled April 12
• HB414: Hearing scheduled April 12
• HB418: Considered April 5
• HB575: Considered April 5
• SB292: Considered March 22
• SB380: Considered April 2
• SB394: Considered April 2
• SB224: Passed Senate April 5, on the way to House floor
• SB253: Passed
• SB301: Considered March 22, signed by Governor
• SB450: Considered March 27
Purpose: TOPS: Provides, under specified circumstances, for repayment of a Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) award
Why is this bill harmful?: Would require TOPS scholars to pay back the amount of their scholarship if they fail to graduate, with interest on any unpaid debt. This is a clear equity issue: no matter their cause, students who drop out of college are clearly in no position to become suddenly saddled with student debt and no accompanying degree — particularly when it is Black and low-income college students who will be most disproportionately affected.
Purpose: STUDENT/TUITION: Creates a program for education savings accounts for tuition expenses for elementary and secondary schools
Why is this bill harmful?: This is just vouchers under a different name: ineffective and inequitable. Private school families accept the burden when they enroll their children there. They do not need a tax shelter using public dollars to pay for private school.
Purpose: MENTAL HEALTH: Requires a mental health evaluation of persons who threaten public safety or physical harm to other persons
Why is this bill harmful?: While we applaud any increased awareness around youth mental health, the language of this bill raises concerns about potential abuse and student pushout.
Purpose: EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY: Allows each public school governing authority to determine the education content standards and assessments to be used in the schools under its jurisdiction.
Why is this bill harmful?: What are the implications for New Orleans? How will this help drive critically conscious, historic and relevant content delivered in all schools?
Purpose: SCHOOLS: Require instruction and display of the national motto “In God We Trust” in public schools. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: Includes patriotic customs rather than “exercises” and requires the instruction to include information on the national motto, “In God We Trust”. Additionally requires each public school governing authority to display the national motto in each building it uses and in each school under its jurisdiction.
Purpose: SCHOOLS: Provides relative to school employee participation in student-initiated prayer. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: This bill creates a slippery slope of personal beliefs impacting how children are treated in public spaces. It’s already legal for students and teachers to practice their religion on personal time; allowing those practices in the classroom, during a school day paid for by ALL taxpayers, has the potential to create a group of “insiders” and “outsiders” in the school setting
Purpose: SCHOOLS: Provide relative to school safety. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: Essentially gives teachers the right to unilaterally arrest students — excuse us, “place them in the custody of appropriate law enforcement” — and effectively suspend them for three days based on one individual’s say-so. Will unquestionably be abused to incarcerate Black students at even disproportionately higher rates than already exist.
Purpose: TEACHERS: Provides relative to Teacher Bill of Rights. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: Actively prohibits schools from disciplining a teacher who gets into any physical altercation with a student. Promotes a divisive “us vs. them” mentality in an already racially and socioeconomically fraught setting.
Purpose: SCHOOLS: Provides relative to bullying. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: Gives way too much latitude to teachers using physical violence against students. Poses a potential issue with implicit bias and discriminating against students of color: “A school employee who witnesses an incident of bullying may take all steps deemed necessary to stop the behavior, including reasonable force, physical restraint, or removal of the offending student from the school grounds. A school official may contact law enforcement and have the student exhibiting bullying behavior immediately removed from the school grounds.”
Purpose: TOPS: Changes award amounts and creates a new TOPS award. (gov sig)
Why is this bill harmful?: Potential equity issues. Creates an Honor Plus award. The proposal is that the state give larger grants to students who have the grades to apply for other merit based support. But income correlates strongly with GPA — the kids making the best grades will in likelihood receive support from their families.