Senate approves wide slate of bills, from retirement changes to local tax authority; votes at a glance
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Summary
The Louisiana Senate completed a busy floor session April 13, adopting a package of bills including retirement return-to-work changes, data- sharing compact amendments, lead-safety reporting and multiple local measures. Several bills passed unanimously; recorded tallies are included below.
The Louisiana State Senate completed a full third‑reading calendar on April 13, adopting a broad set of bills that range from technical corrections to changes affecting retirement, juvenile sentencing and local tax authority. The presiding officer announced multiple roll-call votes as the chamber advanced legislation.
Senate Bill 18: retirement return-to-work rule — Senator Price said SB 18 "terminates the temporary 2024 provision that allowed MERS retirees with 30 plus years of service to return to a MERS eligible position while receiving full retirement benefits" while preserving continuity for those reemployed before July 1, 2026. The Senate recorded the vote as 33 yeas and 1 nay and the bill passed.
Senate Bill 66: child-custody medical expert testimony — Senator Hodges explained the bill "ensures that critical medical evidence about abuse or neglect of a child in a custody case is heard" and asked for favorable passage; the clerk announced 37 yeas and 0 nays and the bill passed unanimously.
Senate Bill 201: juvenile sentencing and parole eligibility — Senator Morris said the bill, requested by the attorney general’s office, "levels the playing field" for juvenile sentencing and establishes a hearing for parole eligibility; the vote was recorded as 26 yeas and 11 nays and the bill passed.
Senate Bill 233: Louisiana Statewide Data Exchange Compact — Senator Mizell described the measure as creating a compact to allow privacy‑compliant data sharing and introduced an amendment clarifying agency data ownership. The amendment was adopted without objection and the bill was moved to final passage (tally reported as 36 yeas, 1 nay).
Senate Bill 274: lead hazard detection reporting — Senator Edmonds said SB 274 "strengthens protections against lead exposure in child-occupied facilities" and coordinates reporting across DEQ, the Department of Health and the Department of Education. The vote was announced as 37 yeas and 0 nays.
Local and technical measures — The Senate also passed a series of local bills and technical updates, including SB 406 authorizing the City of Slidell, subject to voter approval, to levy a hotel occupancy tax (37 yeas, 0 nays) and bills addressing clerks of court records and fourth-offense DWI penalties (votes reported as unanimous in floor announcements).
The presiding officer recessed the Senate and set reconvening for April 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Votes at a glance (selected, as read on the floor): - SB 18 (retiree reemployment): 33–1 — passed (Sen. Price) - SB 66 (child-custody/expert testimony): 37–0 — passed (Sen. Hodges) - SB 201 (juvenile sentencing/parole hearing): 26–11 — passed (Sen. Morris) - SB 233 (statewide data exchange compact): 36–1 — passed, amendment adopted (Sen. Mizell) - SB 274 (lead hazard reporting): 37–0 — passed (Sen. Edmonds) - SB 406 (Slidell hotel occupancy tax, subject to vote): 37–0 — passed (Sen. Owen)
Several additional bills were read and passed or ordered to engrossing/third reading by unanimous or recorded vote during the session. For procedural details and the full list of bills referenced on the floor, the Senate journal and clerk’s records provide the official roll‑call records.
