House adopts Turner TOPS changes, adds amendment to let some students use TOPS for medical and dental school

House Bill 77, a rewrite of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) offered by Representative Tanner Turner, moved through the House Monday with several floor amendments and a final passage vote.

Turner said the bill creates a fourth TOPS award level, called the excellence award, and alters eligibility and award amounts. "If you hit the excellence award in Louisiana, you would not pay any tuition or fees," Turner told the chamber.

The bill also accepted several amendments on the floor. Representative Jason Cruz offered a change to add the Classical Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative to SAT/ACT scores for award consideration, telling members "there's something called a concordance that compares the scores between the different tests." That amendment was adopted without objection.

On a contested floor amendment, the House adopted language that would allow certain Louisiana high school graduates who left the state for college and later return to pursue professional degrees in medicine or dentistry to access previously unused TOPS eligibility for those professional programs, under conditions including a required service period in Louisiana after completion. The amendment incorporated language from HB 275, a separate measure the floor added into HB 77; proponents said it was intended to attract medical professionals back to the state. Debate focused on fiscal impact and whether the change undermines TOPS's primary objective of retaining students in-state.

Representative Jordan and others pressed the author on fiscal estimates. Turner said the amendment carried a projected fiscal note that begins with roughly $367,000 in year one and grows in later years (the sponsor's stated five‑year total and later-year estimates were debated on the floor). Opponents warned the provision could create new recurring costs; supporters said it would use TOPS funds left unspent in recent years and include a pay-back/service requirement to limit long-term cost.

Members also debated whether the measure had been fully vetted by Appropriations after the floor amendment was accepted; Representative Jordan moved — and the House voted on — a motion to recommit the amended bill to Appropriations. The motion to recommit failed (33 yeas, 67 nays). The House then took the final passage vote later in the day; clerk-recorded returns showed the bill passed on final passage.

What happened on the floor

- Cruz amendment to add CLT: offered by Representative Jason Cruz; adopted without recorded objection. - Turner/Barrett amendment (HB 275 language) to allow some returning students to use unused TOPS eligibility for medical and dental school, with service requirements: adopted after debate; floor roll recorded adoption of a major package of amendments (vote on a set earlier in the debate showed 73 ayes, 26 nays on one named amendment set). - Motion to recommit amended bill to Appropriations: failed, 33 ayes, 67 nays. - Final passage: the clerk recorded the bill as passed on final passage.

Why it matters

TOPS is Louisiana's flagship tuition program and a major policy tool for higher education affordability and workforce retention. The bill reshapes award levels and temporarily repurposes unspent TOPS dollars in ways supporters say will bring high‑skill professionals back to the state; opponents warned of costs and of creating a new program that was not subject to full appropriations review.

What comes next

The amended bill, as passed by the House, will proceed to the Senate for consideration. Supporters said follow-up conforming language and fiscal vetting on the appropriations side are likely in conference if the Senate changes the measure.

Speakers

["Representative Tanner Turner","Representative Jason Cruz","Representative Jordan","Representative Hughes","Representative Chasson","Representative Barratt"]

Authorities

[{"type":"policy","name":"Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)","referenced_by":["HB 77 discussion"]}]

Actions

[{"kind":"motion","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"HB77-floor"},"motion":"Adopt package of floor amendments including addition of Justice Excellence award and inclusion of HB275 medical/dental TOPS access provisions","mover":"Representative Turner","second":"","vote_record":[{"member":"(recorded set vote)","vote":"see notes"}],"tally":{"yes":73,"no":26},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Multiple amendment votes were taken; a major package was adopted on the floor (recorded set vote 73–26)."},{"kind":"referral","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"HB77-floor"},"motion":"Motion to recommit the amended bill to Appropriations","mover":"(member on floor)","second":"","vote_record":[{"member":"(clerk roll)","vote":"see note"}],"tally":{"yes":33,"no":67},"outcome":"failed","notes":"Motion to recommit to Appropriations failed 33–67."},{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"HB77-final"},"motion":"Final passage of HB 77 (as amended)","mover":"Representative Turner","second":"","vote_record":[{"member":"(clerk roll)","vote":"see note"}],"tally":{"yes":91,"no":4},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Clerk-recorded final passage (reported in floor transcript)."}]

discussion_decision":{"discussion_points":["How to use recent unspent TOPS dollars","Whether TOPS should be used to attract returning students into professional schools","Fiscal estimates and whether the amendment should go to Appropriations for further review"],"directions":["Sponsor to work with Appropriations on fiscal notes as bill moves to Senate"],"decisions":["House adopted CLT concordance amendment","House adopted amendment to permit returning students to use certain TOPS years for medical/dental study with service requirement","Motion to recommit to Appropriations failed; House gave final passage" ]}

clarifying_details

[{"category":"fiscal","detail":"Sponsor cited $12,000,000 as recent unspent TOPS funds available; amendment fiscal note cited ~$367,000 year one and $4,600,000 by year five (sponsor's floor figures)","value":"approximate","units":"USD","source_speaker":"Representative Turner"},{"category":"vote","detail":"Major floor amendment set adoption recorded 73 yeas, 26 nays","source_speaker":"clerk"},{"category":"procedural","detail":"Motion to recommit to Appropriations failed 33–67","source_speaker":"clerk"}],

proper_names

[{"name":"Taylor Opportunity Program for Students","type":"program"},{"name":"HB 275","type":"other"},{"name":"Classical Learning Test (CLT)","type":"other"}],

searchable_tags

["education","TOPS","higher-education","scholarships","medical-school","state-budget"],

provenance":{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"s=3324.4","local_start":0,"local_end":475,"evidence_excerpt":"House Bill 77 by Representative Turner. Provides relative to Taylor Opportunity Program for Students...","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s=6381.265","local_start":0,"local_end":320,"evidence_excerpt":"We have 91 yays, 4 nays, and the bill finally passes.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}