Get Involved
House Floor—Thursday, March 26
Before wrapping for the week, the House handled most of its current agenda, including four LABI-tracked bills, all of which received approval from the chamber.
HB 232 by Rep. Josh Carlson (R-Lafayette), an LA Driven-Approved measure, removes unnecessary burdens delaying young people from entering the workforce by removing public and private school officials from the process of issuing employment certificates for minors. Instead, with parental consent, minors seeking jobs can submit the required form directly to prospective employers. This also eliminates an administrative burden for school administrators. The final vote was 89-0.
HB 334 by Rep. Raymond Crews (R-Bossier City) re-authorizes both Louisiana Works and the Incumbent Worker Training Program, an existing program to provide training to upskill employees and boost retainment. The final vote was 89-0.
LA Driven-Approved HB 571 by Rep. Vanessa LaFleur (D-Baton Rouge) passed 90-0. It makes permanent the 19th Judicial District’s (East Baton Rouge Parish) Civil Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program. Created in 2023 to handle complex civil cases more efficiently, the CLS manages challenging disputes, resolving them in a timely and cost-effective way. By shifting these matters from the regular civil docket, where they can prove burdensome, the program helps improve overall case management. Complex litigation generally involves cases with intricate legal and procedural issues that require close judicial oversight. Factors that may classify a case as complex include extensive discovery or motion practice, multiple parties or claims, large volumes of documents, numerous expert witnesses, lengthy trials or large-scale class or mass-tort actions.
HB 951 by Rep. Dennis Bamburg (R-Bossier City), also LA Driven-Approved, creates the Office of Talent Accelerator within LA Works. That office will coordinate workforce programs, funding and partners statewide to align talent development with employer and economic needs. It supports businesses by building talent pipelines, expanding training and work-based learning and delivering data-driven, results-focused workforce solutions. It passed, 89-2.