Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association

The following bills passed during the 2005 legislative session:

HB 1 - ALARIO Provides for the ordinary expenses of the state.  Unfortunately, funding for a salary supplement for School Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists was not included in this bill. 

HR 90 - GRAY Requests the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission to study the feasibility of establishing a student loan repayment program for audiologists and speech language pathologists employed in Louisiana's public schools.  ENROLLED.

HB 311 - SCHNEIDER Modifies the defined benefits structure of LASERS for persons hired on or after July 1, 2005.  ACT 75; EFFECTIVE 7/1/05.

HB 759 - BURNS Provides for the Louisiana Board for Hearing Aid Dealers.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 842 - ALARIO Provides for supplemental appropriations for fiscal 2004-2005.  An amendment was added to provide a bonus for teachers and support personnel during this fiscal year.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.  

2005 Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature

LSHA Lobbyist Ayn Stehr has provided the following list of bills that passed the 2005 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature which may be of interest to members:

HB 18 - HUTTER Provides for public employees on involuntary furlough or leave without pay due to a disaster to continue to earn service credit in their retirement systems by making employee and employer contributions.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 22 - CRANE Provides that for the 2005 – 2006 school year the provisions relative to the requirement for testing the sight and hearing of peoples within thirty days after the admission of students entering school late in the session shall not be applicable.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 63 - SCHNEIDER Allows an active public employee who has or is participating in a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) of a public retirement system to withdraw from his account without leaving employment under certain circumstances, including the employee’s principal domicile on August 28, 2005 was located in a parish designated under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is eligible for individual assistance or public assistance (parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana); the employee sustained an economic loss by reason of Hurricane Katrina; the aggravate amount of such distributions for the account does not exceed $100,000; the distribution is made on or after August 25, 2005 and on or before December 31, 2006.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 97 - ALARIO Prohibits any reduction in the State minimum contribution in the Office of Group Benefits Program as a result of any lapse of participation from August 30, 2005 through December 31, 2006 for employee furloughed or terminated as the result of Hurricane Katrina or Rita who is subsequently rehired.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 120 - SCHNEIDER Allows an active public employee who has or is participating in a Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) of a public retirement system to withdraw funds from his account without leaving employment under specific circumstances including the employee’s principal domicile on September 22, 2005 was located in parish designated under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is eligible for individual assistance or individual assistance and public assistance (parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Vernon, and West Baton Rouge); the employee sustained an economic loss by reason of Hurricane Rita; the aggregate amount of such distributions from the account does not exceed $100,000; any distribution made on or after September 19, 2005 and on or before December 31, 2006.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

HB 156 – ALARIO Supplemental appropriations and reductions for state agencies for Fiscal Year 2005 – 2006.  ENROLLED AND SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.

Contact US: LSHA; 8550 United Plaza Blvd.; Suite 1001; Baton Rouge, LA 70809; (225) 922-4512; Fax: (225) 922-4611; Email: lsha@pncpa.com