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Behavioral Health | Bullying / Violence / Terrorism | Crisis Plans | Drills | Medical | Other | Prohibited Substances | School Resource Officers | Student Discipline | Suicide Prevention | Surveillance Cameras | Transportation | Visitor/Volunteer Management | Weapons | Sexual Offenses
Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health services for public school students.
Sponsor: Representative Shane Mack
Current Status: Became law without the Governor’s signature – Act 944
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Requires public schools to offer a mental health assessment to certain students.
Sponsor: Representative Adrian Fisher
Current Status: Became law without the Governor’s signature - Act 504
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
R.S. 17:271.1 and R.S. 17:3996 (B)
To enact R.S. 17:271.1 and 3996(B), relative to curricula; to require the provision of mental health instruction to public school students; to provide relative to content of the instruction; to provide for incorporation of the instruction into an existing required course; to provide relative to the mental health component of the state content standards for health education.
Sponsor: Representative Royce Duplessis
Current Status: Signed by Governor – Act 650
Effective Date: 8/1/2022
Exemptions from compulsory attendance; Required mental health instruction; Youth suicide prevention programs; Establishment of substance abuse programs; Trauma-informed mental health screening; Registration of health centers in schools
Sponsor: C. Denise Marcelle
Current Status: Signed by Governor – Act 318
Effective Date: 8/1/2023
Requires city, parish and other local public school boards to adopt and implement a program to facilitate behavior health intervention and referral for treatment.
Sponsor: Senator Beth Mizell
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 324
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Provides for mental health screenings in schools.
Sponsor: Senator Larry Selders
Current Status: Became law without the Governor’s signature - Act 469
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Bullying / Violence / Terrorism
Assault and battery of students and school employee.
Sponsor: Representative Candace N. Newel
Current Status: Signed by Governor – Act 539
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Louisiana School and Student Safety Act
Definitions
- R.S. 17:409.3
Mandatory reporting of threats of violence or terrorism - R.S. 17:409.4
Investigation of threats of violence or terrorism - R.S. 17: 409.5
Restrictions on and examination of the investigated student
R.S. 17:416.14
Bullying (definition, prohibition, reporting, and accountability)
Battery of a school teacher
Battery of a school or recreation athletic contest official
Assault on a school teacher
Harassment of a school or recreation athletic contest official
Terrorizing; menacing (threats to the school causing evacuation or disruption)
Unlawful disruption of the operation of a school
Communicating of false information of planned bombing on school property or school-sponsored function
Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
Hazing; public elementary & secondary students
Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) and School Mapping
Requires exterior master key boxes to be installed at public schools.
Sponsor: Senator Caleb Kleinpeter
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 738
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Emergency Operations Plans at Public Schools.
Sponsor:Representative Mike Johnson
Requires school crisis management and response plans, including requirements relative to their preparation, content, review, revision, and rehearsal.
Sponsor: Senator Barry Milligan
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 334
Effective Date: 6/13/2024
Provides for school mapping data of public school buildings and facilities.
Sponsor: Senator Caleb Kleinpeter
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 425
Effective Date: 6/20/2025
Requires public and non-public schools to submit critical information to GOHSEP for inclusion in the statewide critical incident and mapping system.
R.S. 17:410.1, R.S. 44:3.1 , R.S. 44:4(40)
Blueprints or floor plans of the interior of a school building or facility are confidential and are exempt from the Public Records Law.
Drills
Requires a safety drill within the first 30 days of the school year, to include an active shooter scenario; requires at least one additional drill during high traffic or transition points in the school day.
Sponsor: Senator Barry Milligan
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 334
Effective Date: 6/13/2024
LA Administrative Code, Title 28 Part CXIII. Bulletin 119 – Louisiana School Transportation Specifications and Procedures
Chapter 13. Student Instruction §1303. Emergency Exit Drills
School Bus Emergency Exit Drills
https://www.doa.la.gov/media/b0ehowxe/28v113.pdf
Effective Date: February 2024
LA State Fire Marshall Interpretive Memorandum 2018-02
Fire Alarms and Operations in Educational Occupancies
Allows for Fire Drills to be scheduled in advance and shared with staff/authorized persons
https://www.lasfm.org/media/fimnzw4v/im_2018-02.pdf
LA State Fire Marshall Interpretive Memorandum 2020-01 – RESCINDED
Emergency Egress Drill Procedures during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Stay in place Fire Drills no longer authorized; required number of drills; drills shall be conducted on the fire alarm system
https://www.lasfm.org/media/agdpu1rm/im_2020-01_rescindedx2.pdf
Medical
Requires an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at all education institutions and at school sponsored athletic events; specifies AED/CPR training requirements; requires development and implementation of a cardiac emergency response plan.
Sponsor: Senator Cleo Fields
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 234
Provides relative to the provision of cardiac health information to student athletes and their parents.
Sponsor: Representative Mike Johnson
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 95
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Requires CPR/AED training for coaches in Louisiana.
Sponsor: Senator William "Bill" Wheat, Jr.
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 421
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Provides relative to the administration of medication at school.
Sponsor: Representative Paula Davis
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 378
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Provides relative to stock emergency medications.
Sponsor: Representative Paula Davis
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 657
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Other
Establishes the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice (LCLE). Creates the School and Nonprofit Security Advisory Council.
Sponsor: Representative Jack McFarland
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 846
Effective Date: 8/8/2026
Creates the crime of child grooming
Sponsor: Senator Patrick Connick
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 97
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Provides relative to the unauthorized possession of electronic telecommunication devices at school.
Sponsor: Senator Beth Mizell
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 313
Effective Date: 5/28/2024
Intimidation and interference in the operation of schools
Wearing or possessing body armor by a student or nonstudent on school property or at school sponsored functions
Unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system
Prohibited Substances
Penalty enhancements for violations of drug-free school zones.
Sponsor: Representative Gabe Firment
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 305
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Unauthorized possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on public school property
Prohibition against the use of tobacco in schools
Smoking prohibited near school property
Drug free zone sign requirements
School Resource Officers
Provides relative to mandatory reporters of child abuse.
Sponsor: Representative Tony Bacala
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 195
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Requires a public school system that has entered into an agreement with a local law enforcement agency to provide for school resource officers to annually report to the state Department of Education the total number of school resource officers provided to the system.
Sexual Offenses
Prohibits sexual conduct between educator and student; adds SRO or security guard.
Sponsor: Senator Caleb Kleinpeter
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 207
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Prohibits the use of deepfake materials against K-12 students.
Sponsor: Senator Regina Ashford Barrow
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 496
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Prohibited sexual contact between an educator and a student
Sexting- Prohibits using a computer or telecommunication device to transmit or receive indecent images of persons under 17 years of age
R.S. 14:91.2
Unlawful presence of a sex offender
Unlawful presence of a sexually violent predator
Provides relative to the unlawful presence of certain sex offenders
Sponsor: Representative Debbie Villio
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 142
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Training to prevent human trafficking at public schools and provides victim services.
Sponsor: Senator Rick Edmonds
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 737
Effective Date: 6/1/2026
Louisiana State Police List of Sexual Offenses and Offender Tiers
https://www.lsp.org/community-outreach/sex-offender-registry/offenses/
Student Discipline
Data collection of schools and educational programs, to include student discipline information
Effective Date: 6/6/2023
Establishes the School Employee Bill of Rights
Sponsor: Senator Samuel Jenkins
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 439
Effective Date: 6/20/2025
Provides guidance for the use of seclusion and restraint to address the behavior of students with exceptionalities
Sponsor: Representative Shane Mack
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 479
Effective Dates:
Sections 1, 4, and 5: 12/1/2025
Sections 2 and 3: 2/1/2026
Disciplinary penalties for certain public-school students found to be in possession of certain substances on school property
Sponsor: Representative Marcus Bryant
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 497
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
Transfer of school disciplinary records
Sponsor: Representative Stephanie Berault
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 181
Effective Date: 8/1/2025
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3911(B)(1)(i) and (l) and 3912(A) and (B) and to enact R.S. 17:416.19(D) and 3911(B)(1)(m), relative to information on school safety and discipline; to require the collection and reporting of certain information relative to school safety and discipline; and to provide for related matters.
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:416 and 3996(B)(40), relative to student discipline; to provide for a comprehensive revision of student discipline laws; to provide relative to student codes of conduct, the use of and procedures for expulsion, damages to property, possession of weapons and drugs, and conferences with parents; to require certain reporting by the state Department of Education.
R.S. 17:416.1 (B) and R.S.17:416.22
Corporal punishment prohibited without parental consent.
Corporal Punishment Incidence Checklist
Sponsor: Representative Stephanie Hilferty
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 268
Effective Date: 8/1/2023
Provides relative to student discipline.
Sponsor: Representative Joe Stagni
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 400
Effective Date: 8/1/2024
Protect Teachers Act” (Immunity from civil liability for act or failure to act in directing of student discipline; justifiable defense to protect from a battery; no requirement to intervene in a battery committed by a student)
Sponsor: Representative Valarie Hodges
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 56
Effective Date: 8/1/2023
Suicide Prevention
Requirements to post suicide hotline on school websites and student ID cards.
Sponsor: Representative Delisha Boyd
Current Status: Signed by Governor - Act 548
Effective Date: 8/1/2026
Requires every public and approved nonpublic secondary school to print "988" on the back of all school IDs.
Sponsor: Senator Regina Ashford Barrow
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 331
Effective Date: 7/1/2024
988 Requirement for Public Secondary Schools
988 Requirement for NonPublic Secondary Schools
To urge and request the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to develop and implement a system for collecting and reporting aggregated, non-identifiable suicide risk assessment data and to submit an annual report.
Sponsor: Senator Beth Mizell
Current Status: Sent to the Secretary of State
Effective Date: 7/1/2024
Surveillance Cameras
R.S. 17:1948
Policies for cameras in certain classrooms
Sponsor: Senator Franklin J. Foil
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 588
Effective Date: 6/17/2022
School surveillance and security video footage exemption; limited retention and viewing policies
Sponsor: Representative Ken Brass
Current Status: Signed by the Governor – Act 301
Effective Date: 6/13/2023
Transportation
Carpool and bus line safety policy for K-5.
Loading and unloading students from a school bus
School bus operators under 18 years of age prohibited
Visitor/Volunteer Management
R.S. 17:416.10
Visitor authorization for public elementary or secondary school grounds
Authorizes school boards to provide for chaplains to serve in public schools as employees or on a volunteer basis.
Sponsor: Representative Beryl Amedee
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 688
Provides relative to the employment or acceptance of volunteer chaplains in public schools.
Sponsor: Senator Mark Abraham
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 293
Search of persons entering public school buildings or grounds
Entry or remaining on site of a school or recreation athletic contest after being forbidden
Weapons
Carrying a firearm on school property or in a firearm-free zone
Provides relative to the illegal carrying of weapons on school property by a concealed handgun permit holder.
Sponsor: Senator Blake Miguez
Current Status: Signed by the Governor - Act 420
Effective Date: 8/1/2025