HLS 25RS-683 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 373
BY REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
SCHOOLS/HIGH SCHOOL: Requires the Workforce Investment Council to perform an
annual return on investment analysis relative to industry-based credentials earned in
high school and provides for student data collection and sharing for this purpose
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3914(N)(1)(a), to enact R.S. 17:3138.13, and to repeal R.S.
3 17:3914(C)(1)(j) and (N)(1)(c), relative to career and technical education; to require
4 the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council to perform an annual return on
5 investment analysis with respect to industry-based credentials earned in high school;
6 to provide for the purpose and content of the analysis; to require an annual report on
7 the analysis to certain legislative committees and the State Board of Elementary and
8 Secondary Education; to provide with respect to the collection and sharing of certain
9 student data for the purpose of the analysis; and to provide for related matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 17:3914(N)(1)(a) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
1217:3138.13 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 §3138.13. Return on investment analysis; industry-based credentials
14 A. The Louisiana Workforce Investment Council shall perform an annual
15 return on investment analysis, including but not limited to employment rates and
16 wage outcomes, for the purpose of evaluating the relationship between industry-
17 based credentials earned by high school students and the students' attainment of
18 high-wage, high-demand jobs that are aligned with state workforce priorities.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-683 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 373
1 B. The council shall submit a written report on the analysis to the House
2 Committee on Education, the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations,
3 the Senate Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial
4 Relations, and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education not later than
5 February first annually. The council shall report student information only in the
6 aggregate and shall not include any student's personally identifiable information as
7 defined in R.S. 17:3914(B)(1) in the report.
8 * * *
9 §3914. Student information; privacy; legislative intent; definitions; prohibitions;
10 parental access; penalties
11 * * *
12 N.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, each
13 public secondary school governing authority shall do the following:
14 (a) For the sole purpose of evaluating state and federal programs that prepare
15 students for postsecondary education, workforce training, and employment,
16 including the return on investment analysis conducted by the Louisiana Workforce
17 Investment Council pursuant to R.S. 17:3138.13, collect the social security number
18 of each student who is pursuing a diploma, not later than the beginning of the
19 student's senior year, subject to the permission of the student's parent or legal
20 guardian or the permission of the student if he has reached the age of majority. In
21 order to facilitate the performance of this analysis, each governing authority shall
22 share the collected social security numbers with the state Department of Education,
23 and the department shall share them with the council. The department and the
24 council shall keep the social security numbers confidential except for this purpose.
25 * * *
26 Section 2. R.S. 17:3914(C)(1)(j) and (N)(1)(c) are hereby repealed in their entirety.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-683 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 373
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 373 Original 2025 Regular Session Hughes
Abstract: Requires the La. Workforce Investment Council to conduct an annual return on
investment analysis on industry-based credentials earned in high school and provides
for the collection and sharing of certain student data for this purpose.
Proposed law requires the La. Workforce Investment Council (WIC) to perform an annual
return on investment (ROI) analysis for the purpose of evaluating the relationship between
industry-based credentials earned by high school students and the students' attainment of
high-wage, high-demand jobs that are aligned to state workforce priorities. Requires the
council to submit a written report to the House and Senate education and labor committees
and the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education by Feb. first annually and
prohibits the council from including any student's personally identifiable information (PII)
in the report.
Present law prohibits any employee of a public school system from providing a student's PII
to any person or public or private entity. Provides exceptions to this prohibition and
authorizes sharing student information under certain circumstances. Proposed law retains
present law.
Present law requires the governing authority of each public high school, not later than the
beginning of senior year and for the sole purpose of evaluating state and federal programs
that prepare students for postsecondary education, workforce training, and employment, to
collect social security numbers of each student pursuing a diploma. Proposed law includes
the proposed law ROI analysis in this purpose, requires such governing authorities to share
the social security numbers with the state Dept. of Education and for the department to share
them with WIC, and requires the department and WIC to hold the numbers confidential
except for this purpose.
Present law requires the student's permission for the collection of his social security number
if he has reached the age of majority or parental permission if he has not. Present Law
requires schools to provide a form for granting such permission. Proposed law removes
present law.
Present law prohibits an official or employee of a public school system from requiring the
collection of certain student information, including social security numbers, unless
voluntarily disclosed by the parent or legal guardian. Proposed law removes the prohibition
on requiring the collection of social security numbers and otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:3913(N)(1)(a); Adds R.S. 17:3138.13; Repeals R.S. 17:3914(C)(1)(j) and
(N)(1)(c))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.