Louisiana State Senate 2013 Session- SB 31-40

by Courtney C Horne @FireezDragon

I am going to be giving a quick 2-3 (sometimes more for more interesting bills) sentence summary of each of the Louisiana State House and Senate 2013 Bills. I will be doing about 10 an entry and a few entries a day until I get caught up. Once I am caught up, I will cover new bills as they are filed. This entry covers Senate Bills 31-40.

Senate Bill 31 (SB31)-  (Claitor) Requires higher education management boards to provide the legislature with extensive information on scholarships awarded – including names of recipients.  A public report on scholarship awards is also required – this one without identifying information on recipients.

Senate Bill 32 (SB32)- (Crowe) sets up a system for connecting criminal defendants who are veterans with resources through veterans services.

Senate Bill 33 (SB33)- (Troy Brown) allows for a survey (which shall not be classified as a public record for the public records act) to be conducted by the minority affairs division of the dept of insurance into the hiring and contracting policies used by insurers – as it relates to minorities.

Senate Bill 34 (SB34)- (Heitmeier) Extends the expiration of a law prohibiting insurers from cancelling homeowner’s insurance policies solely based on the presence of drywall. The current law is set to expire in 2013 and this would extend it to 2016.

Senate Bill 35 (SB35)-  (Heitmeier) Requires the Dept of Health and Hospitals to come up with and report on  action plans for diabetes and obesity.

Senate Bill 36 (SB36)- (Heitmeier) Extends smoking prohibitions to grounds or facilities of institutions managed by the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, or the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System. Basically prohibits smoking on the grounds of any Louisiana public university affiliated property.

Senate Bill 37 (SB37)- (G. Smith) For state income taxes, federal tax benefits which are part of disaster relief would not reduce ones deduction for federal income taxes. Also authorizes individuals and corporations to carryback a net operating loss for 5 years if it is attributable to Hurricane Issac.

Senate Bill 38 (SB38)- (Cortez) doubles the threshold amount used to determine if money to be distributed as purses in horse racing is to be handled by the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association or retained for distribution by the association having the race meeting.

Senate Bill 39 (SB39)-  (Long)  Requires the payment of fees for nonexclusive geophysical permits to the office of mineral resources.

Senate Bill 40 (SB40)- (Kostelka)  Makes changes to the system by which a defendant may waive trial by jury to add a requirement that it be done in writing at least 45 days prior to defendant’s trial date and makes such a waiver irrevocable. Also removes the requirement of the court to notify defendants of their right to waive the right to a jury trial.