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House panel advances medical‑intervention nondiscrimination bill after hours of public testimony
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Summary
The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee on April 15 adopted amendments and reported House Bill 10 41 favorably; the measure would prohibit denying access to businesses or public spaces based on a person’s medical‑intervention status, but was narrowed to exempt K–12 and higher education, hospitals, and certain public‑health actions.
Representative Jason (Galley/Galloway) brought House Bill 10 41 to the committee as a measure to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s “medical intervention status.” The bill’s author told the committee he framed the proposal as protecting bodily autonomy and preventing coercive policies in future public‑health emergencies, and introduced an amendment package that narrowed the bill’s scope by exempting K–12 schools, colleges, hospitals and tuberculosis control measures.
The committee adopted the amendment set and, with no objections, reported the bill favorably. Representative Cruz moved to report the bill as amended; the chair announced there were no objections and the bill was reported out of committee.
The hearing drew a lengthy public‑comment period in which dozens of witnesses — many identifying themselves as health workers, parents or advocacy‑group members — urged the committee to pass or strengthen the bill. Susie Labrie, who said she worked in the film industry, testified that COVID‑era mandates cost her work and income and that medical decisions should be between patients and doctors. "I stand against all kind of health mandates," she said.
Seth Landry, a family nurse practitioner in Vermilion Parish, told the committee he supported the bill but objected to the carve‑out that excludes healthcare workers from its protections. "Mandates and coercion of medical interventions cause harm," he said, calling the current path a loss of individual liberty. Several physicians who testified said they once supported vaccines but changed their views after what they described as withheld information or punitive responses to dissenting clinicians.
Representatives of hospitals and public‑health groups said the amendments eased their concerns. Greg Weddell of the Louisiana Hospital Association and Eric Wines of the American Lung Association both said they would withdraw opposition following the concessions. Opponents also testified: Eric Johnson of Louisiana Families for Vaccines warned the bill would remove a narrow but critical authority for schools and public‑health officials to temporarily exclude unvaccinated students during outbreaks.
Representative Galley closed by reiterating that the adopted amendments preserved statutory outbreak exclusion authority and that his goal was to protect individual liberty while preserving targeted public‑health tools. The committee’s action sends HB 10 41, as amended, to the next legislative step.
What’s next: The committee reported HB 10 41 favorably with amendments; action on the House floor and possible Senate consideration remain to be scheduled.
