Senate advances broad package of bills; SB 107, SB 278, SB 281 and other measures pass

The Louisiana State Senate completed a busy floor day, approving a slate of bills on third reading and final passage across a range of issues from election administration to public safety, education and local development.

Key floor actions included:
- Senate Bill 107 (Sen. Morris): designates an April 2027 special statewide election for proposed constitutional amendments; final passage recorded 34 yeas, 0 nays.
- Senate Bill 278 (Sen. Edmonds): expands ignition interlock device requirements in DUI reinstatement policy; final passage recorded 28 yeas, 9 nays.
- Senate Bill 281 (Sen. Barrow): local bill expanding the Baker Economic Development District boundaries; final passage recorded 36 yeas, 0 nays.
- Senate Bill 331 (Sen. Owen): amendments removed reservoir construction and commercial development options for scenic-river projects; final passage recorded 35 yeas, 0 nays.
- Senate Bill 389 (Sen. Connick): modernizes athlete-agent registration and NIL accountability for student athletes; final passage recorded 36 yeas, 0 nays.
- Senate Bill 415 (Sen. Abraham): "Empower Louisiana" food-purchase cards (see separate article) — final passage recorded in the transcript as 35 yeas, 0 nays.
- Additional bills passed on the floor included measures on aviation fuel tax estimation, newborn hearing screening updates, career-coaching in individual graduation plans, and other technical and local bills; some bills (including an AI-infrastructure bill) were returned to the calendar for further work.

Several bills were adopted with technical or substantive amendments recommended by the Legislative Bureau; a handful of measures generated sustained floor questioning on fiscal notes and implementation (notably SB 415 and bills with recurring fiscal implications). The Senate concluded the day with committee scheduling and adjournment to reconvene the next day.