Committee backs creation of Louisiana Women's Health Consortium focused on perimenopause and menopause

Representative Hilferty presented House Bill 944 to create the Louisiana Women's Health Consortium with a focus on perimenopause and menopause. The sponsor said the consortium would unify existing resources across the Department of Health, Pennington Biomedical, and medical schools to aggregate research and services that could benefit Louisiana women's health.

The Department of Health requested funding for a staff position to support consortium work; the initial fiscal note ($108,000 rising to $155,000 in later estimates) prompted questions from committee members about whether the position could be shared with existing commissions (for example the Lupus Commission) to avoid additional recurring state costs. The sponsor said she had discussed possible staff‑sharing and would continue working with the department to finalize an acceptable staffing approach.

Representative Freeman offered co‑sponsorship and moved the bill favorably; no objection was recorded and HB 944 was reported favorable.

Why it matters: Supporters said coordinated attention to perimenopause and menopause would improve health outcomes for many women; fiscal detail needs to be refined to minimize new recurring costs.

Next steps: HB 944 was reported favorable and will proceed in the legislative process; sponsor and the Department of Health will continue to refine staffing and operating plans.