Here are Some Louisiana Laws to Take Effect Jan. 1, 2022

Dozens of new laws were passed by the legislature this past spring and some of them take effect on January 1, 2022.

Act 424 will go into effect which means Louisiana medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to distribute raw, smokable cannabis to patients with a doctor’s recommendation. Currently, patients are limited to non-inhaled forms of cannabis. The passed legislation also allows patients to purchase up to two-and-a-half ounces of the cannabis flower from a dispensary every two weeks. The change involves less processing thus raw marijuana is anticipated to be less expensive for patients.

Louisiana income taxes will also involve change starting in 2022 under a package of bills that were passed and approved by voters to get rid of personal income tax and corporate tax deductions for federal income taxes paid in exchange for lowering income tax rates. For Louisianans who make more than $50,000, you’ll pay a lower state income tax rate in 2022. Most individual income taxpayers who do not itemize will see a tax cut while those who itemize will likely pay more and an estimated fewer than 2 percent of those who file corporate taxes will see bills rise. The changes might not be apparent until 2022 taxes are filed.

Another change involves training policies required by lawmakers to combat police misconduct and law enforcement agencies must have in place detailed policies for when body and dash cameras must be turned on by officers who have them.

Good news for maternal care, Act 182 requires health insurance providers to identify midwives like physicians and also establishes a doula board to set a framework for doulas to apply to receive reimbursement from health insurance providers. This was passed in hopes of expanding expecting mothers’ access to maternal care and childbirth services, especially in underserved communities.

Click here to search and read bills from the 2021 regular sessions.