BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Starting in 2025, Louisiana residents and businesses will see significant changes as dozens of new state laws take effect.
From tightening voting regulations to reforming tax policies, enhancing consumer protections, and reshaping education and workforce requirements, these measures aim to address diverse aspects of daily life. While most laws will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2025, others are staggered throughout the year, with the Louisiana Legislature reconvening for its next regular session on April 14.
Here's a detailed look at the upcoming changes and their potential impact.
Government and Voting Reforms
- Act 500: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, proof of U.S. citizenship is required to register to vote in Louisiana, alongside updates to the voter registration form.
- Act 317: Effective Jan. 1, 2025, this law updates rules for voter assistance, bans unsolicited absentee ballot applications, and allows emergency absentee applications during disasters.
- Act 521: Effective July 1, 2025, this law mandates transparency in absentee ballot rejections and provides processes for correcting errors.
- Act 550: Changes to recall petition rules take effect Jan. 1, 2025, ensuring detailed requirements for submission and public access to documents after 90 days.
- Act 282: This law updates financial disclosure rules for Louisiana elected officials and certain public servants. It raises the reporting threshold for property, investments, and sales from $2,000 to $5,000 and clarifies exemptions for reporting mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and certain insurance products. These changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Act 516: This law repeals Louisiana’s Occupational Licensing Review Commission, removing its authority to supervise licensing boards and oversee occupational regulations. The repeal takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Economic Reforms
- Act 578: Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, property assessments must use fair market values determined by official review boards until the next mandated reappraisal.
- Act 5: Louisiana’s corporate tax system adopts a flat rate effective Jan. 1, 2025, for income taxes and Jan. 1, 2026, for franchise taxes.
- Act 723: This law establishes and reallocates state treasury funds to support critical areas such as infrastructure, education, disaster response, higher education, criminal justice, transportation infrastructure, and military families. Parts of the law take effect immediately, with other sections effective on July 1, 2024, or Jan. 1, 2025.
- Act 273: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, this law limits non-compete clauses for doctors, setting different rules for family doctors and specialists. It does not apply to those working in rural hospitals or health centers.
Consumer and Public Protections
- Act 656: Social media platforms with over 1 million users must protect minors' online privacy, with enforcement starting July 1, 2025.
- Act 693: Louisiana’s medical marijuana program undergoes major updates effective January 1, 2025. Regulatory authority transfers from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to the Louisiana Department of Health, with new rules for retail permits and licensing to ensure uninterrupted access for patients.
- Act 752: Hemp products face stricter rules starting Jan. 1, 2025, with lower THC limits, clear labeling, and a ban on sales to minors.
- Act 148: Effective January 1, 2025, this law bans misleading labels on imported seafood and mandates that state institutions serve domestic crawfish and shrimp.
- Act 746: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, this law tightens rules for electronic monitoring services. Providers must register with courts and sheriffs, report violations quickly, and share regular updates. It also bans elected officials and their families from profiting from these services.
- Act 563: From Jan. 1, 2025, minors aged 14 to 16 can obtain special ID cards without a custodial parent's signature if accompanied by a guardian or nonprofit worker.
- Act 786: This law updates the rules for auctioneers and auction businesses in Louisiana. It changes the requirements for getting a license, adds rules about bonds for auction businesses, and includes special rules for auctions that sell vehicles. It takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Infrastructure and Community Governance
- Act 9: This law updates Louisiana's homeowners' insurance rules. It restricts when insurers can cancel or refuse to renew long-standing policies, allows them to drop up to 5% of policies each year with approval, and lets them adjust deductibles more freely. Most changes take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Act 158: This law creates the Louisiana Homeowners Association Planned Community Act, setting rules for how planned communities are created, governed, and managed. It covers everything from association duties, voting, and assessments to lot boundaries, building restrictions, and consumer protections. The act also provides clear processes for amendments, development rights, and resolving disputes between homeowners and associations. It takes effect on July 1, 2025.
- Act 75: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, this law updates rules to prevent damage to underground utilities. It defines large and routine excavations, sets rules for large projects, allows agreements between utilities and excavators, and adjusts timelines for marking utility locations and emergency work.
- Act 175: This law gives surviving spouses in Louisiana up to 60 extra days to pay a homeowner's insurance premium after their spouse passes away. To qualify, they must submit a written request with proof of the spouse's death. It takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Act 703: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans must issue bills based on actual usage unless customers opt into fixed billing.
- Act 414: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, this law updates rules for the Lakeshore Villages Community Development District in St. Tammany Parish. It changes how board supervisors are elected, their terms, and pay. If voter numbers are low, appointments are allowed. The board can also hire financial and record-keeping services.
Education and Workforce Development
- Act 412: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, unemployment benefits in Louisiana will range from 12 to 20 weeks, based on the state’s unemployment rate. Extended benefits are available for those in approved job training programs when regular benefits run out.
- Act 655: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, state agencies are prohibited from requiring a bachelor's degree for most job positions unless necessary for specific skills.
- Act 91: Effective July 1, 2025, school counselors must align students’ course enrollment with graduation plans and annually update course catalogs.
Healthcare and Family Services
- Act 86: This law updates the Louisiana child support guidelines by revising the schedule of basic child support obligations based on combined monthly income. The new schedule provides updated amounts for determining child support. It takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Act 515: This law creates the Adoption Awareness Program in Louisiana, aimed at supporting pregnant women and parents considering adoption. It provides education, hotlines, and resources on adoption, funds marketing campaigns, and ensures legal protections for parents. The program is funded through the TANF grant and starts on Jan. 1, 2025, once funding is secured.
- Act 357: Starting Jan. 1, 2025, this law requires dental insurers to report how premiums are spent, focusing on patient care. Spending on care improvements is capped at 5% of revenue, and Medicaid and CHIP plans are exempt. Reports will be publicly available from March 2025.
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