All Legislation from the 2021 Regular Session has Now Been Acted On

Ione “Toni” Stark
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Ione “Toni” Stark
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Governor John Bel Edwards has now acted on all legislation from the 2021 Regular Session. Four hundred seventy-seven bills were signed, while 28 bills were vetoed. 


 

“While much has been made of a handful of controversial bills, the reality is that this legislative session has produced many good laws that will improve the lives of Louisianans, including a balanced budget that strongly positions our state for the coming year and significantly invests in education, people and families,” Gov. Edwards said. “We did this through bipartisan cooperation and compromise. As we have proven time and time again, the people of Louisiana are best served when all of us put aside our differences and focus on projects, programs, and progress for all.

 

“That’s how we’ve given pay raises to teachers, school support staff, and professors. It’s how we’ve enacted protections for pregnant workers, made historic investments in higher education, and created a new program to help more students attend community and technical colleges. It’s how we’ve enacted laws to face the problem of Title IX violations head-on at Louisiana’s colleges and universities, advanced criminal justice reform, supported those affected by human trafficking, and set our state up for continued economic recovery as we work to end the current pandemic.”

 

The 28 bills vetoed from the session ranged from election bills that would have restricted access to voting polls to a bill that would have discouraged the public’s confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination. Senate Bill 118, which would have allowed Louisiana residents 21 years of age and older to carry firearms without a permit, and Senate Bill 156, the transgender sports bill, were also among the vetoed bills.


 

Of the 477 signed bills, Governor Edwards signed eight bills Friday. Senate Bill 60 provides the compensation of intercollegiate athletes for the use of their name, image, or likeness. House Bill 578 provides disclosure of certain information relative to abortion pill reversal. This notifies patients who opt for the two-pill to understand that after the first dose of the abortion pill, there is protocol and procedures that may reverse the process and possibly save the fetus. House Bill 514 was signed as well, which levies a state tax on raw or crude marijuana recommended for therapeutic use and provides for the disposition of the collections of the tax. The remaining bills signed Friday include SB 221, which provides relative to voting systems; HB 72, which requires the secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a voluntary environmental self-audit program; HB 357, which requires reporting of certain information relating to minors who undergo abortions; HB 583, which adds the crime of false imprisonment while armed with a dangerous weapon to the list of crimes of violence; and HB 2, which provides for the comprehensive Capital Outlay budget. Governor Edwards vetoed portions of HB 2.

 

Click here for full session information for the 2021 Regular Legislative Session