HLS 25RS-1060 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 589
BY REPRESENTATIVE OWEN
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
EDUCATION: Provides relative to the effectiveness of laws requiring reports to be
submitted annually to the legislature by the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education and the state Department of Education and provides relative
to certain commissions and advisory councils
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:205(A), 216(A)(introductory paragraph) and (B), 407.51(H),
3 and 416.21(N)(3)(b)(ii), to enact R.S. 17:2, and to repeal R.S. 17:202, 203, 205(B)(1)
4 and (2), 215, 217, 220(B)(5) and (C), 253, 407.23(B)(6), and 407.101 and R.S.
5 36:651(E)(2) and (F)(5), relative to elementary and secondary education; to provide
6 relative to reports required for submission to the legislature by the State Board of
7 Elementary and Secondary Education or state Department of Education; to provide
8 that each law requiring such a report shall cease to be effective two years following
9 the date of its first publication unless renewed by the legislature; to abolish the Early
10 Childhood and Care Commission and transfer certain commission duties to the
11 Advisory Council on Early Childhood Care and Education; to abolish the Louisiana
12 Environmental Education Commission and transfer certain commission duties to the
13 department; to abolish the Advisory Council on Student Behavior and Discipline; to
14 provide for effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
15Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
16 Section 1. R.S. 17:2 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
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HB NO. 589
1 §2. Reports of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and state
2 Department of Education
3 A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any provision of
4 the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 requiring the State Board of Elementary and
5 Secondary Education or the state Department of Education to submit a report as
6 defined in R.S. 24:771 shall cease to be effective on August first two years following
7 the date of the first publication of the report unless renewed by the legislature.
8 B. If a bill providing for the renewal of a reporting requirement does not
9 become law, the statute creating and continuing such report shall be construed as
10 repealed on the applicable termination date.
11 Section 2. R.S. 17:205(A), 216(A)(introductory paragraph) and (B), 407.51(H), and
12416.21(N)(3)(b)(ii) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
13 §205. Environmental Education Section; staff; powers and duties; cooperation;
14 funding
15 A. There is hereby created, within the state Department of Education, the
16 environmental education section which shall assist the commission and perform
17 responsibilities relative to education as provided for in this Subpart. Insofar as funds
18 are appropriated, staff may be employed under the direction and control of the state
19 superintendent of education and in accordance with policies of the department.
20 * * *
21 §216. Curriculum framework
22 A. The commission state Department of Education shall develop a
23 curriculum framework for establishing environmental education programs in all
24 public and private elementary and secondary schools. The program shall integrate
25 environmental concepts and skills into regular curricula, which include:
26 * * *
27 B. The commission shall work with the Department of Education to
28 department shall implement an environmental education program in grades K-12.
29 * * *
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HB NO. 589
1 §407.51. Advisory Council
2 * * *
3 H.(1) The council shall do the following:
4 (1) provide Provide input and guidance to the board and the department on
5 matters pertaining to the development and implementation of rules, regulations,
6 bulletins, policies, or standards related to all early care and education programs,
7 including early learning centers, enrollment in early learning centers, the Cecil J.
8 Picard LA 4 Early Childhood Program, the Child Care and Development Fund Block
9 Grant, the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Head Start, and Head Start.
10 (2) Beginning July 2, 2022, the council shall regularly evaluate the
11 implementation of the plan for early childhood care and education established by the
12 Early Childhood Care and Education Commission and provide recommendations to
13 support its implementation. Study and make recommendations relative to
14 establishing a vision for the future of early childhood care and education in
15 Louisiana.
16 (3) Determine a sustainable infrastructure to ensure quality programs across
17 early childhood providers.
18 (4) Identify opportunities for collaboration and coordination among
19 programs and agencies responsible for development of children from birth through
20 age four.
21 (5) Determine the amount of funding needed to achieve affordable access to
22 quality care and education for all children from birth through age four and
23 recommend policies that prioritize the allocation of future funding.
24 (6) Gather and analyze data, laws, and policy in Louisiana and other states
25 where children are in the care of family child care providers and consider and make
26 recommendations relative to the incorporation of such providers into the early
27 childhood care and education network.
28 (7) Identify and recommend alternative state and local funding strategies for
29 quality early childhood care and education, strategies to address workforce
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1 compensation and benefits issues within the early childhood care and education field,
2 and a formula that could be used on an annual basis to determine the funding
3 necessary to sustain and grow the early childhood care and education system and any
4 necessary legal changes needed to implement such a formula.
5 * * *
6 §416.21. Behavior of students with exceptionalities; use of seclusion and physical
7 restraint
8 * * *
9 N.
10 * * *
11 (3)
12 * * *
13 (b)
14 * * *
15 (ii) The state Department of Education shall post the annual report on its
16 website and submit a written copy to the Senate and House committees on education
17 and the Advisory Council on Student Behavior and Discipline established pursuant
18 to R.S. 17:253.
19 * * *
20 Section 3. R.S. 17:202, 203, 205(B)(1) and (2), 215, 217, 220(B)(5) and (C), 253,
21407.23(B)(6), and 407.101 and R.S. 36:651(E)(2) and (F)(5) are hereby repealed in their
22entirety.
23 Section 4.(A) This Section and Sections 2 and 3 of this Act shall become effective
24on August 1, 2025.
25 (B) Section 1 of this Act shall become effective on August 1, 2026.
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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 589 Original 2025 Regular Session Owen
Abstract: Provides relative to the effectiveness of laws requiring reports to be submitted
annually to the legislature by the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education
and the state Dept. of Education and provides relative to certain commissions and
advisory councils.
Reports
Proposed law provides, notwithstanding present law:
(1)Any present law requirement for the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary
Education (BESE) or the state Dept. of Education (DOE) to annually submit to the
legislature a report as defined by present law (R.S. 24:771) shall cease to be
effective on August 1st two years following the date of the first publication of the
report unless renewed by the legislature.
(2)If a bill providing for the renewal of a report does not become law, the statute
creating and continuing such report shall be construed as repealed on the applicable
termination date.
Present law (R.S. 24:771) defines a "report" as:
(1)Any report that is a public record and is requested by the legislature or is required
by law or resolution to be submitted to the legislature or to either house or to any
committee or joint committee thereof, other than reports of standing committees of
the House or Senate.
(2)Those reports of special committees, commissions, and task forces on which a
member or members of the legislature serve, reports prepared for the legislature by
any agency, or reports prepared for the legislature by a private individual or
organization.
Commissions and advisory councils
Present law provides for both the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission and the
Early Childhood Care and Education Advisory Council. Proposed law abolishes the
commission and transfers some of its duties to the advisory council.
Present law establishes the La. Environmental Education Commission for the purpose of
advising agencies and officials with respect to environmental education. Proposed law
abolishes this commission and transfers its duty relative to developing a curriculum
framework for environmental education programs to DOE.
Present law establishes the Advisory Council on Student Behavior and Discipline for the
purpose of advising BESE and DOE on best practices with respect to school master plans
for student behavior and discipline. Proposed law abolishes this advisory council.
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HB NO. 589
Effective August 1, 2025, except that proposed law relative to reports is effective August 1,
2026.
(Amends R.S. 17:205(A), 216(A)(intro. para.) and (B), 407.51(H), and 416.21(N)(3)(b)(ii);
Adds R.S. 17:2; Repeals R.S. 17:202, 203, 205(B)(1) and (2), 215, 217, 220(B)(5) and (C),
253, 407.23(B)(6), and 407.101 and R.S. 36:651(E)(2) and (F)(5))
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