Committee backs modest increase to nursing‑home personal‑needs allowance

On June 8, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted without objection to report House Bill 266 favorably. Representative Wiley, the bill’s presenter, described HB 266 as “a personal needs allowance increase for individuals, 23,000 plus of them in Louisiana, that live in nursing homes.” He said the allowance has remained $38 per month since 1988 and the bill would increase it "up to $50 a month."

Senator Jackson Andrews moved to report the bill favorable and the committee raised no objections. Committee members acknowledged a fiscal impact and noted the bill would be referred to the Senate Finance Committee for that review.

Senator Boudreaux said the allowance—and other long‑unchanged statutory amounts such as the state minimum wage—need broader review, and expressed support while urging further examination in Finance.

The committee recorded supporters on witness cards including Julie Sandefer, Susie Labrie, Linda Doyle and Walter Beach.