HOUSE NOTES

Louisiana House of Representatives Communications Office 2013 Regular Session Week Seven, May 24, 2013

Week seven of the 2013 Regular Legislative Session ended with one of the Capitol's most memorable and moving events, a memorial salute honoring our state's and nation's military casualties. Speaker Kleckley and House members, led by Rep. Lorusso, helped to honor our war dead with a poetry reading and dedications to two soldiers from Louisiana who were killed in combat: Sergeant Michael J. Guillory of Pearl River, and Chief Warrant Officer Bryan James Henderson of Winnsboro. Outside, on the front lawn of the Capitol, the 75mm Howitzer Salute Battery of the LSU ROTC fired their cannon 21 times to honor all United States' fallen service members. As of May 23, the House has passed 343 House bills, and the Senate has passed 165 Senate bills. A total of 47 House Bills and 23 Senate bills have been sent to the governor. To date, the governor has signed 19 House bills into law: HB10; HB15; HB18; HB36; HB89; HB96; HB99; HB112; HB140; HB142; HB171; HB172; HB177; HB184; HB186; HB246; HB312; HB345; and HB512. An item for your constituents: Louisiana residents can save money on flashlights, batteries, generators and other emergency supplies during the 2013 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26.

VETERANS * House Bill 312, which was signed by the governor, gives military service members extra time to renew a government-issued license or professional/occupational license after active duty. Under HB312, a military service member has up to 180 days after return from duty or a hospital discharge to renew government-issued or professional licenses. The House approved three Senate bills this week that provide protection for Louisiana veterans. * Senate Bill 32 , which has been sent to the governor, would authorize courts to check on a defendant's military or veteran status. If the veteran has been diagnosed as having a mental illness, the court may order a presentence investigation and shall consult with veterans agencies regarding treatment options. Additionally, the court would be required to consider the treatment recommendations before imposing a sentence. * Senate Bill 60 would create the crime of impersonating a veteran with the intent to injure, defraud, obtain economic gain, or obtain or secure any special privilege or advantage. SB60 provides for a fine of $1,000, six months imprisonment, or both, for committing the crime of impersonating a veteran or veteran-owned business.

* Senate Bill 72, sent to the governor, would increase the penalty for the crime of disturbing the peace at a funeral or burial from $100 to $500. INVESTOR TAX CREDITS * Senate Bill 122, pending Senate final passage, would expand the Investor Tax Credit and the Import Export Cargo Credit of the Ports of Louisiana Tax Credit Program to ship building/repair and oil and gas support activities. Additionally, the measure would lower the minimum project size allowed to $1.5 million, exclude industrial projects and bulk liquid/gas facilities, modify the revenue neutrality requirement, limit credits to $2.5 million per year per project, and $12.5 million issued per year for the program. Finally, SB122 would provide for a sunset date of January 1, 2020, for the cargo credit. JUDGES SALARIES * Senate Bill 188, pending House Appropriations, would increase judges salaries. Under this legislation, the actual salary of the judges of the supreme court, courts of appeal, and district courts shall be increased effective July 1, 2013 as follows: supreme court 5.5 % courts of appeal 3.7 %. district courts 4 %. Additionally, the actual salary of the judges of the supreme court, courts of appeal, and district courts shall be increased by 2.1 % on July 1 of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Next, SB188 provides that effective July 1, 2013, the salaries of city court and parish court judges shall be increased by 4%, and increased by 2.1% on July 1 of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

CLERKS OF COURT * House Bill 174, which passed the Senate, provides for a 4% salary increase for clerks of court annually, through Fiscal Year 2016-2017. CASINO SUPPORT SERVICES FUND/EDUCATION * House Bill 320, pending Senate final passage, establishes the Casino Support Services Fund, which would provide compensation to the parish governing authority that provides support services for a casino's operation. The first $1,800,000 shall be credited to the Casino Support Services Fund; the next $60,000,000 shall be credited to the Support Education in Louisiana First Fund (SELF) for both K-12 and for higher education. All net revenues in excess of $61.8 million shall be split between both funds up to the amount of the latest approved contract. The remainder of receipts shall be deposited to SELF. HURRICANE ISAAC CARRY-BACK * Senate Bill 37, pending House introduction, would authorize a net operating loss carryback of five years for corporations if the loss is attributable to Hurricane Isaac. The measure provides that a loss is "attributable to Hurricane Isaac" if a portion of the Louisiana net loss for the taxable year is attributable to business activity or business property of the taxpayer located in any parish which is in whole or in part in the area declared a disaster by the President of the United States, by reason of Hurricane Isaac. The provisions of SB37 would be applicable to all tax years beginning January 1, 2012 and thereafter.

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CANCER * House Bill 153,which passed the Senate, would expand the income tax checkoff applicable to prostate cancer to include all types of cancer. EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTERS * Under current law, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) licenses child-placing agencies, community homes, day care centers, group homes, maternity homes, and residential homes as Class A or Class B. Senate Bill 222 would change licensing categories from Class A or Class B to Type I, Type II, Type III, and Type IV, and creates definitions for early childhood learning center, camp, child day care center and specialized provider. New licensing categories under SB222 are as follows: Type I - child day care center or residential home owned or operated by a church or religious organization; (2) Type II -privately owned child day care center that does not receive state or federal funds (exception for the federal food and nutrition program); (3) Type III - publicly or privately owned early childhood learning center; and (4) Type IV - publicly or privately owned child-placing agency, maternity home, or residential home. The proposed law requires DCFS to create an early childhood learning working group to seek input on developing rules and regulations. Finally, SB222 would require Type III licenses to adhere to Early Childhood Care and Education Network standards determined by BESE. If passed, the provisions of SB222

would become effective January, 1, 2014. SB222 is scheduled for floor debate on May 29. LA COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS * Senate Bill 204, would allow Louisiana's community and technical colleges to borrow more than $250 million for 28 specific construction projects around the state. Before state funding is issued, each project would require the availability of private matching funds of at least 12%. The bonds would be issued outside of the capital outlay process and not subject to legislative approval. EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN * Senate Bill 153, pending House referral, provides that a woman employed fulltime in state public service be paid the same compensation paid to a man who performs the same service, and that a distinction in compensation may not be made because of sex. NEW ORLEANS RIVERFRONT * House Bill 516, pending Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, would grant authorization to the Ernest N. Morial-New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority to borrow money and issue bonds to pay for the Convention Center's Phase V Expansion Project along the Mississippi River in the Central Business District of New Orleans. RETIREMENT * House Bill 46, which passed the Senate, would authorize a one-time cost of living adjustment (COLA) for retirees who retired prior to July 1, 2001, and who entered the Deferred Retirement Option Plan prior to

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July 1, 2001, and retired prior to July 1, 2012. HB46 authorizes a COLA up to 3.75% of the retiree's annual pension. HB46 additionally requires the actuary for the Legislative Auditor to review the determination of the systems actuary regarding the funding of the cost-of-living adjustment. The one-time cost-of-living adjustment is prohibited from being granted until the actuary for the Legislative Auditor and the actuary for the system agree on a determination. * Senate Bill 16, reported with amendments, would allow college and university management boards the option to set their employer contribution rate: At a minimum, the amount shall be equal to the employer's portion of the normal cost contribution that would have been contributed had the participant been a member of the cash balance plan of the regular retirement plan of the Teachers' Retirement System. At a maximum, the amount shall be equal to the employers' portion of the normal cost contribution that would have been contributed had he been a member of Tier 1 of the regular retirement plan of the Teachers' Retirement System. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES * House Bill 10 which adds 27 hallucinogenic substances to Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substance Law, has been signed by the governor. * House Bill 15, which adds certain compounds to the Schedule I classification of controlled dangerous substances, has been signed by the governor.

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