Governor John Bel Edwards signs 48 bills into law from 2020 regular legislative session

On Friday, June 5, Governor John Bel Edwards signed 48 bills into law. These bills were from the 2020 Regular Legislative Session.

Of the bills, HB 848 renames Act 833 of 2014 as the April Dunn Act. April was a tireless advocate for people with disabilities and a dedicated staff member who served in the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs. She succumbed to complications from COVID-19 on March 28, 2020. 

• ACT 1—HB 848 Provides that Act No. 833 of the 2014 Regular Session, which provides for alternative pathways for grade level promotion and graduation of certain special education students, shall be known and may be cited as the “April Dunn Act”.
• ACT 2—HB 11 Provides relative to benefit payments if an eligible member of the Firefighters’ Retirement System dies prior to retirement.
• ACT 3—HB 13 Provides relative to enrollment of employees in the Firefighters’ Retirement System or the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System.
• ACT 4—HB 14 Provides relative to the refund of employee contributions to the Firefighters’ Retirement System.
• ACT 5—HB 17 Provides relative to entities that are employers covered by the Parochial Employees’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
• ACT 6—HB 37 Provides that the annual amount of a Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) award at Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College shall match the annual award amount at other technical community colleges.
• ACT 7—HB 58 Provides relative to premium costs for retired sheriffs and deputy sheriffs of the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office.
• ACT 8—HB 65 Provides relative to exceptions to the crime of political payroll padding by a sheriff.
• ACT 9—HB 81 Provides an exception to allow immediate family members of a coach of a collegiate athletic program to be employed on the staff of that program.
• ACT 10—HB 89 Adds certain substances to the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.
• ACT 11—HB 91 Re-creates the Louisiana Department of Health.
• ACT 12—HB 97  Removes certain limitations on the exemption from local match requirements for certain rural water system projects
• ACT 13—HB 98 Provides relative to the signing of civil pleadings.
• ACT 14—HB 99 Re-creates the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. 
• ACT 15—HB 101 Provides relative to the civil service status of employees of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority.
• ACT 16—HB 113 Provides relative to the use of facility dogs in court.
• ACT 17—HB 123 Provides relative to the allocation of receipts and expense to income and principal.
• ACT 18—HB 124 Provides for continuous revisions to the Trust Code.
• ACT 19—HB 125 Provides for the continuous revision of succession law.
• ACT 20—HB 126 Provides for ownership in bond for deed contracts for purposes of homestead exemptions.
• ACT 21—HB 130 Provides relative to termination of the Louisiana Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.
• ACT 22—HB 143 Re-creates the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
• ACT 23—HB 144 Provides relative to the mandatory age limitation for certain elected officials. 
• ACT 24—HB 204 Authorizes CASA to receive FBI records on potential CASA volunteers.
• ACT 25—HB 265 Provides relative to certain recordkeeping by the clerks of court.
• ACT 26—HB 288 Provides relative to the purchase of an automobile by the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court.
• ACT 27—HB 400 Provides for an extension of court costs collected by the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans.
• ACT 28—HB 751 Makes revisions to the Louisiana Election Code.
• ACT 29—SB 3 Adds Morgan City and Berwick housing authorities to system membership.
• ACT 30—SB 5 Authorizes the board to deduct certain monthly insurance premiums from benefits payable to members or other beneficiaries.
• ACT 31—SB 6 MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RET: Clarifies terminology.
• ACT 32—SB 32 Provides relative to the penalty for second-degree rape.
• ACT 33—SB 33 Re-creates the income tax checkoff donation for Dreams Come True, Inc.
• ACT 34—SB 53 Provides for therapeutic group homes licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health.
• ACT 35—SB 173 Requires a notice to be posted upon the withdrawal or disqualification of a candidate’s name that remains on the ballot.
• ACT 36—SB 174 Provides technical changes in references to federal law regarding health insurance.
• ACT 37—SB 186 Provides relative to the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans.
• ACT 38— SB 209 Requires the office of state examiner to develop online testing for entrance firefighter and entrance police officer applicants. 
• ACT 39—SB 229 Provides relative to evidence from criminalistics laboratories in Certificates of Analysis in juvenile court proceedings of a noncriminal nature.
• ACT 40—SB 322 Provides relative to tests for suspected drunken drivers.
• ACT 41—SB 352 Provides that the court may order a clinical assessment for a person who has two or more DWI convictions.
• ACT 42—SB 414 Provides relative to the authority of the Insurance Committee of the Assessors’ Insurance Fund to contract for group insurance.
• ACT 43—SB 421 Provides for additional rights and powers of certain port commissions regarding economic and industrial growth.
• ACT 44—SB 450 Exempts from seizure payments received under governmental entities as a result of an outstanding emergency event.
• ACT 45—SB 487 Provides relative to the capital outlay application process.
• ACT 46—SB 492 Preempts local regulation of the use of natural gas utility service.
• ACT 47—SB 498 Provides for tax filing and payment extensions.
• ACT 48—SB 503 Provides relative to actions of Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget relative to the forty-five day close period.