Signed by Governor Jeff Landry

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that prohibits those with criminal convictions in another state from being hired as non-licensed health professionals in Louisiana.

Highlights:

• Defines  "nonlicensed person" as any person who provides nursing care or health-related services directly to patients and who is not a licensed health provider (Sec. 2). 

• Exempts workers who don't provide direct care such as cafeteria workers, maintenance/janitorial staff, or groundskeepers (Sec. 2).

• Requires employers to request a criminal history and security check before making any offer of employment or contract to a nonlicensed person or licensed ambulance personnel (Sec. 2). 

• Requires employers to pay a $26 fee for a search of the office's criminal history files (Sec. 2). 

• Requires security checks to include a search of the national sex offender public registry (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies employers may offer temporary employment while awaiting background check results, provided relevant information is submitted to the office within 72 hours (Sec. 2). 

• Exempts pending arrests, unresolved record matches, minor traffic offenses, parking violations, or other nonviolent misdemeanors from automatically prohibiting temporary employment (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies conditional employment is permitted if the preliminary review reveals no disqualifying convictions and any unresolved records involve only minor or nonviolent offenses (Sec. 2). 

• Requires employees on conditional status to work under supervision and be immediately removed from direct service duties if a disqualifying offense is later revealed (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits employers from hiring nonlicensed individuals or licensed ambulance personnel convicted of specific offenses listed under Louisiana law, including violent crimes, sex offenses, and drug distribution offenses (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits hiring individuals convicted of substantially similar offenses in other states or federal court (Sec. 3).

• Requires employers to immediately terminate any employee whose completed background check reveals a disqualifying conviction, including out-of-state or federal convictions substantially similar to listed offenses (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that Sections 1, 3, and 4 take effect October 1, 2026 (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that Section 2 takes effect upon passage (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that prohibits those with criminal convictions in another state from being hired as non-licensed health professionals in Louisiana.

Highlights:

• Defines  "nonlicensed person" as any person who provides nursing care or health-related services directly to patients and who is not a licensed health provider (Sec. 2). 

• Exempts workers who don't provide direct care such as cafeteria workers, maintenance/janitorial staff, or groundskeepers (Sec. 2).

• Requires employers to request a criminal history and security check before making any offer of employment or contract to a nonlicensed person or licensed ambulance personnel (Sec. 2). 

• Requires employers to pay a $26 fee for a search of the office's criminal history files (Sec. 2). 

• Requires security checks to include a search of the national sex offender public registry (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies employers may offer temporary employment while awaiting background check results, provided relevant information is submitted to the office within 72 hours (Sec. 2). 

• Exempts pending arrests, unresolved record matches, minor traffic offenses, parking violations, or other nonviolent misdemeanors from automatically prohibiting temporary employment (Sec. 2). 

• Specifies conditional employment is permitted if the preliminary review reveals no disqualifying convictions and any unresolved records involve only minor or nonviolent offenses (Sec. 2). 

• Requires employees on conditional status to work under supervision and be immediately removed from direct service duties if a disqualifying offense is later revealed (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits employers from hiring nonlicensed individuals or licensed ambulance personnel convicted of specific offenses listed under Louisiana law, including violent crimes, sex offenses, and drug distribution offenses (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits hiring individuals convicted of substantially similar offenses in other states or federal court (Sec. 3).

• Requires employers to immediately terminate any employee whose completed background check reveals a disqualifying conviction, including out-of-state or federal convictions substantially similar to listed offenses (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that Sections 1, 3, and 4 take effect October 1, 2026 (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that Section 2 takes effect upon passage (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text