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Panel adopts amendments to prioritize medical testimony in child abuse/neglect proceedings
Summary
Senate Bill 66, authored by Senator Hodges to prioritize medical expert testimony in child abuse and neglect cases, was amended for clarity and to preserve judicial discretion; the committee adopted two amendment sets and reported the bill with amendments.
Senator Hodges presented Senate Bill 66 to the Judiciary A committee as legislation that would prioritize medical testimony in cases involving child abuse or neglect, with the aim of ensuring courts hear medical experts and reduce delays that disrupt patient care.
Vice Chair Luno offered amendment set 17‑20 to align statutory language with common phrasing used in other statutes and to preserve narrow judicial discretion; Lauren Bailey of the Louisiana State Medical Society said the changes were intended to "build in some levers so that the legislature is not dictating to the judiciary how to handle their business." Luno and others described the amendments as wordsmithing rather than substantive change.
A second amendment (set 17‑02) removed a paragraph dealing with continuances to avoid unintended conflicts with existing statutes and court procedures; the sponsor and committee members said the change would restore continuance practice to the existing rules and avoid disrupting case management.
Supporters said the bill seeks to reduce repeated testimony and avoid rescheduling that delays care and imposes burdens on medical professionals and patients. Senator Hodges noted instances where medical witnesses sat hours in court only to be dismissed and rescheduled, delaying patient care and causing lost income.
Both amendment sets were adopted without objection, and the committee reported SB 66 with amendments.
