[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6217018,"mediaKeyId","3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c","parentId",3650140,"title","Committee advances bill to add partial-hospitalization rate and expand intensive outpatient coverage for behavioral health","audioSeconds",9505,"startMs",9505000,"endMs",-1,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c&start=9505&end=0","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c/thumbnail_9505000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6217018/Louisiana/Committee-advances-bill-to-add-partial-hospitalization-rate-and-expand-intensive-outpatient-coverage-for-behavioral-health","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217018-6f7d2f5fbc2c4196460f6a8aa47de2e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1776693716&Signature=nqwTFOv~1ql5VR6lOSbSD~DXD3EufCmHif3T57vVpPF0KpzUizIWckuLkXAaz0u5q9iLaNszWfiS2RHOSJ65PsBePlWNrbh5wzRmYghbxPvdkAyUl3qOoR8SLsM5CIQ7odrgTo2cAzSX148k8goprUAJFYaJMU00AJb6cy7SW~ePWEmp2fSKzHPg0IvcN7TbP99slR5HIF5wAp9r2n5afZ9Qu9C3u2QXmVAPGXbOQkZyavwCdyMOVb~bI7ooSKK~dV~BVHTjGwNBgqG1MxRwBLzWB4Jpudv7pAbOipd3BkuHOghB8jDpFeGB7zCNdS4wf2hSwI17dA8mZvEGTLYALg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 96 was reported favorably with committee amendments that would add Medicaid reimbursement for partial-hospitalization-program (PHP) services provided at freestanding inpatient psychiatric hospitals at 100% of Medicare rates, subject to federal approval and availability of funds. During committee discussion the sponsor and provider witnesses said the service creates a step-down level of care between inpatient hospitalization and outpatient intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and that peer states’ pilots and studies show reductions in readmissions and emergency-department usage.

Stuart Archer, CEO of a statewide behavioral-health provider, and other witnesses said many Medicaid patients currently have no PHP option that keeps them engaged after discharge; an appropriate PHP, they said, brings patients in for several hours daily for therapy, medication management and care coordination and reduces the cycle of repeated short hospitalizations. The bill as amended also added Medicaid coverage for intensive outpatient services at licensed outpatient clinics (sponsor and committee amendment) and limited the initial reimbursement change to freestanding inpatient psychiatric hospitals while the department works through utilization and budgeting questions.

Amendments adopted by the committee include a subject-to-appropriation clause and language that requires LDH to identify funds within its current budget before implementing increased reimbursement. Committee members and providers discussed longer-term needs — including more beds and extended-care placements for people with severe, persistent illness — but the amendment package aimed to create a pilotable reimbursement route that the state can expand if the program reduces overall costs.

Committee members expressed support for the policy goal and moved the bill forward. Representative Egan and others made favorable-passage motions; the bill is now eligible for appropriations and further consideration in the lower chamber.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Health & Welfare - June 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee adopted amendments and reported Senate Bill 96, which directs Medicaid reimbursement for partial-hospitalization mental-health services at freestanding inpatient psychiatric hospitals at 100% of Medicare rates (subject to federal approval and appropriation) and adds intensive-outpatient coverage for licensed outpatient clinics.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6217023,"Committee advances Medicaid-integrity bill to expand data checks and residency verification",978,4370000,5348000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c&start=4370&end=5348","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c/thumbnail_4370000.jpg","/articles/6217023/Louisiana/Committee-advances-Medicaid-integrity-bill-to-expand-data-checks-and-residency-verification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217023-a0ef38d2523c1ed6b360bfa44a2b4bd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1776693716&Signature=YnPbI3UetkyjoGIXQIWWmVyB~AlzpbAGFEa6uRBjg8-z7Ld4Sgi~v1m2FIG4bHmzsP-aK1YlJGhoLceu0BCRLFQmyclsNLXYbb21EljP5~guhVMV9mvagKAMcHRVXEuHKW5-l0UiplvJAXU6RgfyRqAMHlW4Wl9YMuqL0mP5w9VJZAI1j3SqPCZmx48vi2hXWDSUInceJ7nL6a3Dc9jofuaonAweWLHNUU2qqckprWg0-n70mmtjkBQW1ZpO7NJtC1envm2DispcDwclbfF6PrIwfj-87pqMMq-kmjLr3YJrv79-nwcoglNNFT902n~u0ZvPndhYfZ24usIKR7DKhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 130 was reported favorably with amendments after committee debate about how the Louisiana Department of Health should verify Medicaid eligibility. The bill would authorize LDH to expand interagency data crosschecks (for example with vital records, workforce wages, revenue, motor-vehicle records and Social Security Administration information), prohibit use of self-attestation of Louisiana residency for initial eligibility (unless required by federal law), and require the department to publish quarterly reports on investigations, improper-payment amounts and recoveries.

Sponsor Senator Cloud said the bill aims to modernize eligibility verification and reduce improper payments, noting a large number of people on the Medicaid rolls appear not to reside in Louisiana. LDH officials told the committee they already use multiple data sources and have been adding feeds; the department said some checks are new (for example recent Office of Motor Vehicles checks) and full implementation requires programming, staff and sometimes paid data services.

Kim Sullivan, LDH Medicaid director, told the committee the department has drafted rules and performs data exchanges with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Department of Revenue and other agencies; some sources are routine and free, while private vendors (for example credit-reporting services) have per-check fees. David Matlock (DCFS) and other witnesses emphasized the need to resource any expansion, and several members asked for more detail on churn—how many households are removed then reenrolled—and on safeguards so eligible people are not wrongfully terminated.

The committee adopted a committee-originated amendment clarifying that LDH shall not accept self-attestation of Louisiana residency for initial eligibility and renewals (unless federal law requires otherwise). Representative Butler moved the measure favorably; the committee recorded no objections. Members asked LDH to provide further data on churn rates, the marketplace-transfer population, and the department’s data-source inventory to inform fiscal estimates and oversight.

","Senate Bill 130 passed the House committee after members approved amendments allowing broader interagency data crosschecks, outlawing self-attestation of Louisiana residency for initial Medicaid eligibility, and requiring quarterly public reporting of integrity activity.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6217028,"Committee backs amendments to narrow cottage-food bill to farm producers",628,128000,756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c&start=128&end=756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c/thumbnail_128000.jpg","/articles/6217028/Louisiana/Committee-backs-amendments-to-narrow-cottage-food-bill-to-farm-producers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217028-5e2c14b963c6860dcfdd4f8ef892f44c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776693717&Signature=Vp4weocAp293vvMgzE5QJbj2zKVft6jdLtV-u8dFjzDgDK0xLAcOELW0Pqh~9NlxCxDYfCZh5sHSY5l10Q3hjITgmeqjN1N5yUjBh42qz~z5WlBunDmBYJFemIiqg75jiTJq8wLrKOM3AspP-ZWlrcGej-Q3eAzXiDbrBaBDRkoboyY1DCMAWg6atFfS3HBQ7KJeONHfYPi6S5CUhEHt4bpTvB~g5zYGkN6PusUSguNaE7fRbFcuUXZXegbSh3SgKV-amZGvb8PP-PZv2qiFG5tpm686MYRy5bhBoNT~826vUUPBHpv2pHunqXCmc3UdqIcXOpyFi8-0GoyHp3LXuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 150, sponsored by Representative Coats, was returned to the committee with an amended scope and then reported with amendments on June 3. The revisions change the bill’s terminology from “homemade food” to “farm food product,” limit eligible sellers to farmers who hold a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm identification number, and preserve existing cottage-food laws while creating a separate exemption for qualifying farm-based producers.

The bill’s sponsor said the measure was intended to help small farmers and value-added agricultural producers—people who convert farm products into items such as custards or small-batch preserves—by easing licensing requirements so long as gross annual farm food sales do not exceed $50,000. Representative Coats told the committee states such as Texas and Florida set higher caps (sponsor cited $150,000 and $250,000 respectively) and said inflation and input costs are justification for adjusting the threshold.

The committee adopted a multi-part amendment set (identified in committee materials as set 3,745) that: changes the bill language to “farm food product”; limits eligible sellers to producers with an established USDA identification number; clarifies that preparers must obtain a tax certificate and pay taxes on sales; permits direct sales on the farm and at farmers markets; sets a $50,000 gross sales cap as a threshold under which certain sanitary-code revisions would not apply; and preserves existing cottage-food law provisions.

Representative Cruz offered a narrowly focused amendment to clarify language about dairy: the committee adopted an amendment adding the word “pasteurized” to read that a preparer shall only use pasteurized milk or pasteurized milk products in the preparation of potentially hazardous foods. The committee approved that clarification by voice vote with no recorded objections.

The sponsor said the bill was not meant to replace existing cottage-food law but to provide an additional avenue for farmers to market value-added items they produce from farm inputs. Representative Goral and others voiced support; Representative Butler moved the bill favorably. The committee reported HB 150 with amendments to the House floor.

","House Bill 150 was reported with amendments that narrow the bill’s scope to producers with USDA farm identification numbers, create labeling and tax requirements, and keep the existing cottage-food law intact. The committee also adopted a technical amendment clarifying that \"pasteurized milk products\" are required in certain preparations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6217033,"Committee advances 'Charlie’s Law' to tighten child welfare, early-learning oversight",3029,761000,3790000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c&start=761&end=3790","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650140-7ed31a49a0a3997c15e8bdd83c67d79c/thumbnail_761000.jpg","/articles/6217033/Louisiana/Committee-advances-Charlies-Law-to-tighten-child-welfare-early-learning-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217033-1b0ccde2936680f3952b174c831f2465/orig.mp4?Expires=1776693717&Signature=nnLQqesULa3h95kycK-kHhHra6csyhLO9rdkSLEBGv7TUA0sUNQPOEqNT2j2Qb6H70vaWatOlJ7Ip5ZEe~XPBX6eEl6-nlyO29yBdJZ4T0Pg30VYd8LQ5-CREQfgc6QLN8isRnI2IgjAcX4bmdFT79sPg~DR7-4DFXMdQ8sYN3Y1Kci0hpXcAdoKYi~AOqMBTHdHnnryxjPn2WUg85g--E0Pd6GoADTpu8qlz8UkJV1tcuKLpR-8zZ0WA~B73iQIigeJOMrm~P48RxOk4HXTrQhyyk87QoRtVjjXtyQzmYGhVUlscSsebV~J41z6185Ukg-KDMTHePUqXrM80Gt8uQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 41, called “Charlie’s Law,” was reported favorably out of the House Committee on Health and Welfare on June 3 after the committee adopted a package of technical and policy amendments. The bill, sponsored by Senator Barrow, would change how the state handles child-abuse reporting and investigations, require licensing for certain early-learning programs and clarify standards for the state central registry and mandatory reporter training.

The bill’s sponsors and witnesses told the committee the measure responds to gaps identified in a 2024 study (Senate Resolution 167) and high-profile cases in which parents reported problems getting consistent responses from law enforcement, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and early-childhood programs. Supporters said the bill aims to create a clearer lead agency for investigations, expand licensing to cover some currently unlicensed pre-K programs and require verifiable training for mandatory reporters.

Senator Katrina Barrow, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure grew from a study and conversations with the state’s ombudsman and others who reported inconsistent case handling. “Oftentimes, depending on the case, when the investigator showed up, we weren’t sure who was actually picking up the case — DCFS or law enforcement,” Barrow told the committee. Barrow said the bill changes how determinations are labeled, requires licensing for previously unlicensed programs serving children under age 5, improves the state central registry, and mandates training that the state can verify.

Major Roger Williams and Dr. Jana Padraet testified as parents who said their child was sexually assaulted at a prekindergarten program and that responses from the school, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and DCFS were fragmented. Major Williams described delays in law-enforcement assignment and the family’s difficulty obtaining coordinated investigative services. “We contacted the school. We contacted Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. Initially they refused to investigate,” Williams testified. He said DCFS and law enforcement concluded the other should handle the matter, and weeks passed before a sexual-violence detective was assigned.

Kathleen Stewart Ritchie, identified in committee as the Child Ombudsman, said she serves with the Legislative Auditor and described the state central registry as listing only persons with substantiated reports following investigation. She also noted an appeal process for persons listed on the registry through the Division of Administrative Law.

David Matlock, secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, told the committee the bill is a “heavy lift” but “a huge step in the right direction.” Matlock said the department already performs some crosschecks and that expanding authority or standards will require additional resources and staffing. He told members that the department would need funds to carry out new investigative responsibilities and improved verification systems.

The committee adopted multiple amendment sets that the sponsor and department said were intended to narrow application, restore certain existing credentialing provisions, provide technical clarifications (for example changing language from “invalid” to “substantiated”), and add a name provision so the act “may be cited as Charlie’s Law.” Representative Fisher moved the favorable report; the committee recorded no objections.

Next steps: the bill was reported to the full House with amendments. Sponsor Barrow and supporters said they plan continued stakeholder work after the session to address operational details, funding and consistency among child-advocacy centers.

","The House Committee on Health and Welfare voted to report Senate Bill 41, dubbed \"Charlie’s Law,\" favorably after adopting technical and policy amendments that expand licensing, mandatory reporting verification and state registry procedures for early learning centers and child-abuse investigations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances bill to add partial-hospitalization rate and expand intensive outpatient coverage for behavioral health

Committee advances Medicaid-integrity bill to expand data checks and residency verification

Committee backs amendments to narrow cottage-food bill to farm producers

Committee advances 'Charlie’s Law' to tighten child welfare, early-learning oversight