List of New Louisiana Laws That Went into Effect This Week

Every year, Louisiana gets a TON of new laws and statutes. And this year is no different. Quite frankly, typically, most of them are relatively boring and don't directly impact our every day lives. That's just the way things go.

However, this year, there's a few new laws that will have an impact on some of us. New laws that impact insurance claims, social media, DWI convictions, the Death Penalty and a whole lot more. Check out the list of laws that went into effect starting on July 1st 2024.

Age Requirements for Minors on Social Media

This law will probably have the most impact on the state as it directly impacts every child under 16 in the state and the parents of those children. SB162 introduces the Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act to Louisiana. So, what does that mean? Basically, protects social media users under 16 years of age by restricting social media access, limiting the collection and use of minors' data, and imposing age verification and parental consent requirements. It will also require parental consent for children under 16 to open and keep a social media account. There's a lot to this new law, but you can get the full rundown here.

Law to Provide Fair Claims Processing

SB323 aims to make the insurance claims process easier on the customer and company. The headline of the bill is "Provides for fair claims processing". What does that mean exactly? Well, the Louisiana Department of Insurance says the new law establishes a simple, clear timeline for the claims process that makes it easier for policyholders and insurers to understand what their responsibilities are during the claim. It's also designed to hopefully cut down on unnecessary litigation.

Law to Raise Awareness of Youth Suicide Prevention

When it comes to new laws regarding schools in Louisiana, the new law to require the 10 commandments in all classrooms got the majority of the attention. However, that wasn't the only new requirements for schools in the state.

SB310 aims to help cutdown on suicide prevention amongst the state's youth by making the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline more visible. The law will require every public and approved nonpublic secondary school to print “988” (National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) on the back of all school IDs. It's a small thing, but it may just help save some lives.

New Law Gets Tougher on DWI Offenses

We all probably know someone that has had a DWI at some point. And, it used to be that a first offense ended up being nothing more than a glorified slap on the wrist. However, that seems to be changing. SB7 aims to stiffen up the penalty for first offense DWIs. The new law will require the court to order the use of an ignition interlock for at least six months on a first offense conviction of operation of a vehicle while intoxicated.

New Database for Those Convicted of Child Abuse or Neglect

Everyone knows about the sex offender registry. If you get convicted of certain crimes, you get added to a list so the public will be aware of your crimes. This bill establishes a similar database for those convicted of child abuse/neglect in the state of Louisiana.

No More Need for a Concealed Carry License in Louisiana

After several attempts, this law passed during the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session. SB1 now allows law abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. There are also several other separate new laws that are related or tie into this one.

• SB2  - Provides for a limitation of liability for persons authorized to carry a concealed handgun. “Authorized persons” include active law enforcement, retired law enforcement, any person with a valid concealed handgun permit, and military personnel who are active, reserve, or retired.
• SB214 - This allows law abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon in restaurants that serve alcohol
• SB507 Specifies that a person carrying a concealed handgun shall be fined no more than $500, or imprisoned for no more than six months, or both, if they negligently carry a concealed handgun while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance or while behaving in a criminally negligent manner. The penalty increases to not less than $500 and no more than $1,000 or imprisonment for no more than six months, or both, if the violation occurs in the French Quarter Management District.

New Death Penalty Laws for Louisiana

One of the big things that new Governor Jeff Landry wanted to do was re-establish the death penalty in Louisiana. It's always been on the books, but we as a state haven't carried out many executions in the last decade or so. One of the big hurdles has been getting the drugs needed to carry out a legal & ethical execution. HB6 looks to change that. The big thing the new law does is it adds nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution as additional methods for administering the death penalty.

Other New Laws in Louisiana

On top of all the laws listed above, there are several others that are now in affect. However, most of them don't directly impact us 'regular citizens'. Some of the laws impact the Port Development Advisory Commission, the requirements for land based casinos, supplemental pay for the Port of South Louisiana, etc..

You can see the full list of new laws here on KTBS' website.