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House Labor Committee—Thursday, March 19
The House Labor Committee was one of three House bodies to meet Thursday morning, hearing nine overall measures, five of which LABI supports.
- Rep. Michael Melerine’s (R-Shreveport) HB 185 addresses a line of cases that have eroded statutory employer tort immunity. The measure expands the definition of “independent contractor” to include employees of independent contractors. LABI supports this bill as a proposal to strengthen the exclusive remedy of workers’ compensation. The Committee reported this bill with amendments by a 6-4 vote.
- HB 232 by Rep. Josh Carlson (R-Lafayette), an LA Driven-approved bill, 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 Committee moved favorably on the bill with amendments.
- HB 301 by Rep. John Wyble (R-Bogalusa) creates the Independent Contractor Voluntary Portable Benefits Act allowing independent contractors—like freelancers or gig workers—to set aside money for benefits (such as health insurance) through special accounts managed by approved organizations. The bill was reported with amendments by a 6-5 vote.
LABI’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Jim Patterson, testified in support of HB 301, noting that Alabama, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wyoming have already implemented successful iterations of this program.
“The gig economy is here, it’s real, it’s growing,” he said. “It is where our young people are looking to go. They like the freedom, the flexibility. I would note that Louisiana is below the national average in terms of labor participation, and I think this is part of it, is that individuals have that desire, they need that flexibility in their schedules. We think this legislation is beneficial to give them a way to provide benefits for themselves that they don’t have access to otherwise.”
- HB 334 by Chairman Raymond Crews (R-Bossier City) re-creates Louisiana Works and re-authorizes the Incumbent Worker Training Program, an existing program to provide training to upskill employees and boost retainment. HB 334 was reported favorably.
- LA Driven-Approved HB 951 by Rep. Dennis Bamburg (R-Bossier City) 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. The bill was reported with amendments.