Louisiana House advances dozens of bills; lawmakers pass consumer‑protection, tax and memorial measures

Baton Rouge — The Louisiana House of Representatives on April 23, 2025 advanced a broad set of bills and resolutions, passing measures on consumer protection, tax administration, memorial designations and law‑enforcement authority and adopting multiple technical amendments.

Most consequential floor debate centered on HB90, a bill to curb third‑party “reservation piracy” on restaurant booking sites, and HB173, which expands the authority of certified state park wardens to issue citations for litter violations statewide. Both bills passed after the House adopted amendments that changed enforcement or effective dates.

Why it matters: The package included measures that affect consumer protections for small businesses and residents (HB90), clarify tax and administrative processes (several bills on second reading and local tax matters), and change operational authority for state employees charged with public‑facing duties (HB173). The session moved quickly: members adopted many procedural amendments and returned numerous bills to the calendar for later calls.

Votes at a glance (selected items recorded on the floor)

- HB 83 — Designate portion of Highway 466 in Gretna as Chief Beach Miller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Final passage recorded: 90 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 90 — Prohibit third‑party restaurant reservation platforms from listing or selling reservations without a written agreement; civil penalties and restitution added by amendment. Final passage recorded: 89 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 91 — Require notice period calculation changes for disclosure of certain bank records (Louisiana Bankers Association sponsor). Final passage recorded: 90 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 131 — Local changes to ad valorem tax complaint filing in Calcasieu Parish; amendment adopted and bill returned for final handling (motion to pass noted on the floor).

- HB 174 — Designation of bridge over Kansas City Southern Railroad for Specialist Clayton James Horne; final passage recorded with co‑author roll calls (clerk recorded 95 yeas, 0 nays on final passage roll call).

- HB 180 — Designate a portion of U.S. 425; final passage recorded: 89 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 89 — Allow notaries to obtain certified death certificates in certain low‑value succession cases; final passage recorded: 93 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 204 — Create a collector’s duck stamp with dedicated fees for wildlife management (Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries request); final passage recorded: 93 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

- HB 173 — Expand authority of state park wardens to enforce litter laws statewide; amendment changed the effective date to the date of signature. Final passage recorded: 94 yeas, 0 nays (passed).

Selected floor debate and amendments

- HB 90 (reservation platforms): Representative Hebert, sponsor, said the bill targets third‑party platforms that deploy automated bots to capture reservation slots and resell them without a restaurant’s consent. The House adopted an amendment adding an enforcement mechanism through the attorney general’s office, a civil penalty (up to $1,000 per day per violation) and a restitution clause limiting refunds to the amount the consumer actually paid to a third party.

- HB 173 (litter enforcement): Representative Malcolm Ilk, sponsor, described the bill as a tool to combat statewide litter and to empower certified park rangers to issue citations. Members asked whether rangers must be POST‑certified and whether that requirement is necessary; the sponsor said the POST certification was raised in committee as a safety measure and that the bill’s amendment set the effective date to the signature date.

- Several bills involving tax administration, insurance, and education were reported out or returned to the calendar with technical amendments; many were passed on final reading with unanimous or near‑unanimous margins.

What’s next: Numerous bills were returned to the calendar for further consideration or given notice for later calls (dates noted on the floor). Committees set meeting times for the coming week to continue work on appropriations, natural resources and other matters.

Votes and records: This account is based on the House floor transcript for April 23, 2025. Tallies above reflect the final recorded roll calls read on the floor.

Ending note: The House concluded the day after completing a high volume of business and set its next floor session for Monday at 1 p.m.