HLS 25RS-952 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 559
BY REPRESENTATIVE ECHOLS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
HEALTH/LDH: Organizes the state human services district under the secretary and surgeon
general of the Louisiana Department of Health
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 28:914(D)(1) and to enact R.S. 28:913.7(7) and (8), 919, 920,
3 and 921 and R.S. 36:259(B)(22), relative to human services districts and authorities;
4 to provide for the duties of the district and authority boards; to provide for executive
5 directors of the district and authority boards; to develop the Statewide Population
6 Health Strategy; to create the Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council; to
7 provide for the membership of the council; to provide for the functions of the
8 council; to reduce fraud, waste, and duplication; to require a report on fraud; and to
9 provide for related matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 28:914(D)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 28:913.7(7)
12and (8), 919, 920, and 921 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 §913.7. Governing board; general provisions
14 The following provisions shall apply to all district and authority governing
15 boards:
16 * * *
17 (7) The board shall implement all strategic and programmatic priorities with
18 the Statewide Population Health Strategy, as developed and coordinated by the
19 Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council and surgeon general.
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1 (8) The board shall collaborate with the executive director hired by the
2 surgeon general.
3 * * *
4 §914. Requirements for districts and authorities; board education and awareness
5 * * *
6 D. All district and authority boards shall adopt:
7 (1) A mission, vision, and policy for the operation of the district or authority.
8 The board shall set policy as a body and shall employ an executive director who shall
9 be accountable to the board, as a body, for the implementation of the policies
10 established by the board. adopt a policy to achieve the goals of the Statewide
11 Population Health Strategy at the direction of the Louisiana Population Health
12 Coordinating Council and surgeon general.
13 * * *
14 §919. Strategic authority of the Louisiana Department of Health
15 A. The Louisiana Department of Health and the surgeon general shall have
16 strategic oversight of the human services districts and authorities.
17 B. The human services districts and authorities shall continue to operate with
18 local governance boards but shall align all strategic and programmatic priorities with
19 the Statewide Population Health Strategy as developed and coordinated by the
20 Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council and the surgeon general.
21 C.(1) The surgeon general shall hire, evaluate, and terminate the executive
22 director of each human services district or authority in accordance with the
23 employment procedure of the Louisiana Department of Health.
24 (2) An executive director of a human services district or authority shall
25 report directly to the surgeon general and serve as a voting member of the Louisiana
26 Population Health Coordinating Council.
27 §920. Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council
28 A. There is hereby established within the Louisiana Department of Health
29 the Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council.
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1 B. The council shall be comprised of seventeen members which shall
2 include:
3 (1) The surgeon general of this state.
4 (2) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
5 (3) Ten members who are the executive directors of the human services
6 districts and authorities.
7 (4) One representative from the Louisiana Department of Health, office of
8 public health.
9 (5) One representative from the Department of Education.
10 (6) Three members who are public health or academic experts.
11 C.(1) The member listed in Paragraph (B)(4) of this Section shall be selected
12 by the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
13 (2) The member listed in Paragraph (B)(5) of this Section shall be selected
14 by the secretary of the Department of Education.
15 (3) The members listed in Paragraphs (B)(6) shall be appointed by the
16 governor.
17 D. Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing or selecting
18 authority.
19 E.(1) The council shall adopt rules and regulations to provide for the
20 governance of the council.
21 (2) The term of an appointee shall be four years.
22 (3) Procedures for filing a vacancy created by the removal, resignation, or
23 death of any council member prior to the end of the council member's term shall
24 follow those used for initial appointments.
25 F. Each council member shall serve without compensation.
26 G. The surgeon general shall be the chairman of the council.
27 H. The domicile of the council shall be Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
28 I. The council shall hold quarterly public meetings unless decided by a vote
29 of the council or by order of the chairman.
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1 J. The number of council members necessary to constitute a quorum for the
2 transaction of business shall be one half of the entire membership of the council. A
3 majority vote of the council members constituting a quorum shall be necessary for
4 any action taken by the council.
5 K. The Louisiana Department of Health shall provide administrative
6 assistance and serve as staff for the council.
7 L.(1) The functions of the council shall be to develop the Statewide
8 Population Health Strategy.
9 (2) The Statewide Population Health Strategy shall focus on measurable
10 improvements in all of the following statewide outcomes:
11 (a) A reduction in preventable hospitalizations and emergency room
12 utilization.
13 (b) A decrease in maternal and infant mortality and improvement in maternal
14 health access.
15 (c) An expansion of mental and behavioral health services, especially in
16 underserved and rural areas.
17 (d) An increase in preventive care utilization including cancer screenings and
18 vaccinations.
19 (e) A decrease in opioid overdoses, overdose deaths, and substance use
20 disorder relapse.
21 (f) A reduction in racial and geographic disparities in health outcomes.
22 (g) Improved care coordination for persons with developmental disabilities
23 and mental illness.
24 (h) Workforce development and retention for primary care, behavioral
25 health, and public health professionals.
26 §921. Reduction of fraud, waste, and duplication
27 A. The Louisiana Department of Health shall do all of the following:
28 (1) Conduct annual programmatic and fiscal reviews across all human
29 services districts and authorities.
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1 (2) Identify and eliminate initiatives that do not meet outcome benchmarks
2 or show a return on investment.
3 (3) Consolidate overlapping contracts and introduce performance-based
4 funding models.
5 (4) Expand the use of data analytics and shared dashboards to monitor
6 performance and identify billing anomalies.
7 (5) Establish whistleblower protections and anonymous reporting systems
8 for suspected fraud or misuse of funds.
9 B. The Louisiana Department of Health shall submit a fraud, waste, and
10 duplication report summarizing the fraud and waste reduction results of the actions
11 required by this Section to the House and Senate committees on health and welfare
12 and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library.
13 Section 2. R.S. 36:259(B)(22) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 §259. Transfer of agencies and functions to Louisiana Department of Health
15 B. The following agencies are placed within the Louisiana Department of
16 Health and shall exercise and perform their powers, duties, functions, and
17 responsibilities as otherwise provided by law:
18 * * *
19 (22) Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council.
20 * * *
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 559 Original 2025 Regular Session Echols
Abstract: Provides for the collaborative effort of state and local governing bodies to
improve health outcomes, creates of the Louisiana Population Health Coordinating
Council (LPHCC), and the Statewide Population Health Strategy (SPHS).
Present law provides an enumerated list of provisions of present law that are applicable to
all human services district and authority governing boards.
Proposed law adds the following requirements to the enumerated list:
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(1)The board shall implement all strategic and programmatic priorities of the SPHS, as
developed and coordinated by the LPHCC and surgeon general.
(2)The board shall collaborate with the executive director hired by the surgeon general.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Present law requires all district and authority boards to adopt a mission, vision, and policy
for the operation of the district or authority. Proposed law further requires the board to set
policy as a body and employ an executive director.
Proposed law revises present law requiring the district and authority boards to adopt a policy
to achieve the goals of the Statewide Population Health Strategy at the direction of the
LPHCC and surgeon general.
Proposed law provides that the La. Dept. of Health (LDH) and the surgeon general shall have
strategic oversight of the human services districts and authorities.
Proposed law provides that the human services districts and authorities shall continue to
operate with local governance boards, but shall align all strategic and programmatic
priorities with the SPHS as developed and coordinated by the LPHCC and the surgeon
general.
Proposed law states that the surgeon general shall hire, evaluate, and terminate the executive
director of each human services district or authority in accordance with the employment
procedure of LDH.
Proposed law requires the executive director of a human services district or authority to
report directly to the surgeon general and serve as a voting member of the LPHCC.
Proposed law establishes the LPHCC within LDH. Proposed law further provides for the
makeup and selection of the membership of the council.
Proposed law states that members of the council shall serve without compensation.
Proposed law also states the council shall be located in Baton Rouge and that the surgeon
general shall be its chairman.
Proposed law requires the council to develop the SPHS. Proposed law further provides that
the SPHS shall focus on measurable improvements in all of the following statewide
outcomes:
(1)A reduction in preventable hospitalizations and emergency room utilization.
(2)A decrease in maternal and infant mortality and improvement in maternal health
access.
(3)An expansion of mental and behavioral health services, especially in under served
and rural areas.
(4)An increase in preventive care utilization including cancer screenings and
vaccinations.
(5)A decrease in opioid overdoses, overdose deaths, and substance use disorder relapse.
(6)A reduction in racial and geographic disparities in health outcomes.
(7)Improved care coordination for persons with developmental disabilities and mental
illness.
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HB NO. 559
(8)Workforce development and retention for primary care, behavioral health, and public
health professionals.
Proposed law requires LDH to do all of the following in order to reduce fraud, waste, and
duplication:
(1)Conduct annual programmatic and fiscal reviews across all human services districts
and authorities.
(2)Identify and eliminate initiatives that do not meet outcome benchmarks or show a
return on investment.
(3)Consolidate overlapping contracts and introduce performance-based funding models.
(4)Expand the use of data analytics and shared dashboards to monitor performance and
identify billing anomalies.
(5)Establish whistleblower protections and anonymous reporting systems for suspected
fraud or misuse of funds.
Proposed law requires LDH to submit a fraud, waste, and duplication report summarizing
the fraud and waste reduction results of the actions to the appropriate entities as specified
in proposed law.
Present law provides a list of agencies that are placed within LDH.
Proposed law adds the Louisiana Population Health Coordinating Council to this list.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 28:914(D)(1); Adds R.S. 28:913.7(7) and (8), 919, 920, and 921 and R.S.
36:259(B)(22))
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