2024 Legislative Wrap-Up
The Big Picture in Louisiana
The 2024 Louisiana legislative session came to an end on Monday, June 3rd, after 84 days of whirlwind policy debates, life-shattering legislation, and intense political maneuvering. While there is much to unpack, we want to start by expressing our profound gratitude to each person and organization who stood with us in the fight for reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. Throughout the legislative session, community members, allies, and new friends united to send 22,953 emails to legislators across the state. We hosted 10 Women on Wednesday (W.O.W) events in partnership with 14 partner organizations, inviting 148 attendees to experience a day at the capitol and actively learn about and participate in the legislative process. The collective dedication of our community to advocate on behalf of vulnerable yet powerful individuals continues to inspire us to leverage new and innovative strategies in the fight for reproductive health, rights, justice, and autonomy.
This year’s session had some bright spots, including advances in Black maternal health and HIV prevention. However, it also featured divisive and harmful rhetoric, bills, and decisions that will impact women and birthing people, queer and transgender youth, sexual assault survivors, physicians, and more in the years to come. We are sharing with you a high-level overview of the major takeaways from this session for women, girls, and queer and transgender people in Louisiana, along with a sneak peek at how Lift Louisiana plans to continue engaging and mobilizing the community for the remainder of the year.
A Look at Legislation & Lift’s Work
Each year, Lift Louisiana, its partners and allies work on strategy, host learning and community building opportunities, draft legislation, meet with legislators, and equip community members to be able to connect with their legislators and testify to transform the landscape of our state.
We envision a Louisiana that ensures that the rights of women, girls and queer and transgender people are protected and their bodily autonomy is not undermined. As a result of our work, we will be able to say that Louisiana has the lowest maternal mortality rate in the country, that racial disparities are no longer determining health outcomes and economic security, that children and families are thriving, and that reproductive healthcare, including abortion, is available and affordable.
Abortion & Reproductive Justice
Louisiana’s abortion bans went into effect two years ago following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, since then Lift has worked tirelessly to reduce the harm of these bans in our state and advocate for reproductive justice.
During the 2024 legislative session in Louisiana, we saw six abortion bills filed, four of which were legislative priorities for our organizations, partners and community advocates. Those bills were
HB 56 by Rep. Candace Newell - clarified vague language included in Louisiana abortion ban regarding miscarriages
HB 63 by Rep. Candace Newell - clarified surgical and treatment methods for ectopic pregnancies (so they would not be classified as abortions) and expanded medical conditions exempt from the ban
HB 164 by Rep. Delisha Boyd - ensured that survivors of rape or incest can access abortion without going to law enforcement first
HB 293 by Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman - clarified the requirements for prosecution under the criminal abortion bans.
Despite a well-coordinated advocacy strategy and overwhelming public support, we saw each of our priority bills aimed at reducing the harm of our abortion bans die in committee, respectfully.
Many of our legislators chose to disregard the health of pregnant people in Louisiana and the widespread support for exceptions to the abortion ban in favor of an extremist anti-abortion ideology. A poll conducted by JMC Analytics and Polling found the following:
53% of voters support an amendment to the state constitution establishing the right to an abortion
73% of voters think a patient should be able to obtain an abortion if a doctor feels it is necessary to protect the patient’s health
70% of voters would support a law allowing abortion in cases involving sexual offenses, such as rape and incest
59% of voters oppose prison terms for doctors, who prescribe medication or perform an abortion
More voters, 49%, describe themselves as pro-choice than pro-life, 44%
The disheartening disregard for Louisiana’s pregnant people did not end at refusing to reduce harm. The remaining two abortion bills piled on to the harm already being experienced in this state.
Senator Thomas Pressley filed SB 276 that creates the crime of coerced criminal abortion and classifies Mifepristone and Misoprostol as Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substances and Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews filed SB 278 that reorganizes the Alternatives to Abortion Program (established to provide pregnancy and parenting support to low-income women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant, their male partners, and/or pregnant minors), allocating $5 million dollars each year from the state to unlicensed pregnancy centers.
Our team rallied to prevent the passage of these bills by providing insights and commentary to media outlets on the impact of these bills, drafting amendments to minimize harmful impacts, preparing legislative allies to oppose the bills, identifying and equipping physicians and advocates to testify, and educating the community through public briefings, weekly emails and social media.
In a state with an anti-abortion supermajority, reproductive rights wins more often look like harm reduction, media coverage, and culture shift rather than sweeping policy changes. While we were disappointed to see our lawmakers further criminalize pregnant people and their communities of support, we brought national attention to the situation in our state and started strategy conversations with partners across the country who may see similar bills introduced in the future. Likewise, although it was hard to watch our priority bills get deferred in committee, we used that platform to highlight the glaring issues in our current law and uplift the voices of birthing people, medical providers, and survivors. It’s an uphill battle, but we will continue to use all of the tools available to us to fight for abortion access and an unapologetically robust vision of bodily autonomy.
LGBTQIA + Rights
Louisiana is filled to the brim with a diverse group of people and a LGBTQIA+ community deeply invested in protecting one another and the youth that are being raised here. During this session, we were proud to support legislation that would enhance the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in our state and oppose harmful bills intended to discriminate against them. This session we saw many hateful bills introduced by anti-LGBTQIA+ legislators, as well as protective legislation filed by allies.
Our legislative allies filed HB 98 and 126 (Representative Mandie Landry), both of which would protect state recognition of same-sex marriages, even if Obergefell is overturned.
HB 234 (Representative Delisha Boyd) would prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation and SB 283 (Senator Royce Duplessis) would repeal the crime against nature by solicitation (CANS) law which has been used disproportionately to criminalize Black trans women. While each of these life-enhancing bills failed their respective committees and votes, we are grateful for the continued efforts of our legislative champions who consistently use their power to protect this community and those who are being targeted within it.
Anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers passed HB 121 by Representative Raymond Crews requiring schools to get written parental consent for students who wish to use a name or pronouns that does not align with their sex assigned at birth. It also includes an exception for educators who want to harass, deadname, or forcibly out trans students - regardless of parental support. This bill was signed into law by Governor Landry, after being vetoed by Governor Edwards in 2022. This was one of three major anti-LGBTQIA+ bills that passed and were signed by the Governor this session. HB 122 by Representative Dodie Horton bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools in K-12 grades and mandates the removal of all LGBTQ+ supportive clubs. Lastly, HB 608 by Representative Roger Wilder prohibits governmental agencies from accommodating gender-diversity with respect to athletics, correctional facilities, juvenile detention facilities, domestic violence shelters or other accommodations. Wilder’s bill also codifies a reductive definition of gender as sex assigned at birth as part of an ongoing attempt to erase trans and gender expansive people from public life.
These laws, which go into effect on August 1, will impact not only queer and trans people across the state but also the communities that surround them. Educators who want to create welcoming and affirming spaces for their students will be prevented from, depriving an already vulnerable group of students of important networks of support. Inclusive programming like comprehensive sexual education may need to be altered or pulled altogether to comply with the law. Gender-diverse people across the state will be prevented from accessing the facilities and services that they need. This is made more complicated by the vague language of the new legislation, leaving educators and service providers scrambling to make sense of the law and come into compliance before August.
““As a transwoman…this has nothing to do with invading women’s spaces. I hope I don’t make women feel uncomfortable by existing in their spaces…if I were to go into a men’s bathroom, I can assure you the men in there would be uncomfortable; it would probably be unsafe for me...Is the goal here to put trans people into bathrooms that make everyone feel uncomfortable?””
While we are disappointed to see harmful legislation pass, we are proud to have worked with the LocALL Coalition to show strong opposition to these bills. To that end, there were some positives for LGBTQIA+ community members during this legislative session. Continuing her hateful attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, Representative Dodie Horton filed HB 975 to require parental consent for minors to access any medical procedures. She later amended the bill to apply only to gender-related mental health counseling, revealing her underlying intention to use this legislation to limit access to support for vulnerable trans, gender expansive, and questioning youth. This bill passed the committee, but failed on the house floor. In a legislature that is overwhelmingly hostile to LGBTQIA+ rights, defeating this bill was a cherished victory.
Louisiana is not alone in dealing with attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, and these laws are deeply related to the fight for reproductive justice. State legislatures across the country have been berraged with transphobic and homophobic legislation farmed out by well-resourced conservative think tanks like the Alliance Defending Freedom. These are the same organizations that have been pioneering and bankrolling efforts to eliminate abortion access, ban teaching about racism in schools, and make affirmative action illegal. Although progressive movement work often gets siloed into issue areas, we are all in the same fight and will continue to work in solidarity against all forms of oppression.
Maternal Health
Currently, Louisiana ranks 47th in maternal health overall. What’s worse is Black mothers, birthing people and infants are dying more often than their white counterparts. This is not surprising considering Louisiana’s racist history and systemic oppression of Black bodies and people. At the bare minimum, our legislature needs to take proactive steps to create and implement policies that drastically reduce these casualties and improve birthing outcomes. During the 2024 legislative session, we are proud to have supported and partnered with the Mama+ Coalition in efforts to do just that.
We supported nine bills this session, but four of them failed to receive funding and did not move forward. HB 489 by Representative Jason Hughes, would improve the Medicaid reimbursement rate for maternal and infant health services. HB 702 by Representative Matthew Willard and SB 142 by Senator Regina Barrow would require any Medicaid to cover services provided by a doula before, during, and after childbirth. SB 135 by Senator Royce Duplessis would provide twelve months postpartum Medicaid coverage for all pregnant women with income of up to 185% of the federal poverty level. Each of these bills had the potential to shift maternal health outcomes and lower the mortality for Black and other birthing people throughout our state, however, despite proclamations of caring about mothers and babies, legislators refuse to prioritize funding to address the maternal health crisis. Another bill that failed was HB 630 by Representative Mandie Landry which would ensure that no pregnant or postpartum person is criminalized or otherwise punished for a negative pregnancy outcome.
The five remaining bills were signed into law and are major steps in ensuring access and support to birthing people including our most vulnerable population of Black and brown people. SB 143 by Senator Regina Barrow requires coverage for prenatal and postpartum hypertension screening which can identify birthing challenges before they become deadly. The remaining bills, SB 148 (Senator Mizell), SB 190 (Senator Boudreaux) and SB 300 (Senator Duplessis) would:
Give providers more flexibility in treating postpartum depression
Require the Louisiana Department of Health to develop a plan for increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care, obstetric care, non-specialty mental health, substance use disorder, family planning, and women's health services
Require insurance coverage for nutrition counseling and lactation consultant services.
We were overjoyed by the number of laws that passed and look forward to monitoring their impact on the maternal health crisis that exists in Louisiana. Even with these laws, there is still work to be done. We must push lawmakers to prioritize funding maternal health, instead of funneling our tax dollars into unlicensed, anti-abortion pregnancy centers.
Reproductive Health and Rights
This session, Lift supported a comprehensive reproductive health policy agenda aimed at ensuring that all individuals have access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare services and the ability to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives.
Since the fall of Roe V. Wade, Louisiana has made its mission to compete for the most restrictive abortion ban in the United States with very limited exceptions. During this legislative session, we championed HB 245 by Representative Aimee Freeman. This bill would allow the people of Louisiana to vote to amend the state Constitution to affirm the right to reproductive freedom. Based on the numbers, 53% of likely voters said they support amending the constitution to establish a right to abortion. A constitutional amendment in Louisiana would provide a strong, enduring protection for abortion rights, counteracting restrictive laws, reflecting public support, and offering legal stability in an uncertain federal landscape. Other bills that we supported included:
HB 395 by Rep. Delisha Boyd - would have protected the right to contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, and contraceptive related information. Over 80% of Americans support birth control and 64% support emergency contraception. Yet, anti-abortion groups, including the Louisiana Right to Life, opposed HB 395 and the bill failed to get the votes it needed to move out of committee.
HB 310 by Rep. Aimee Freeman - would require public schools to provide free menstrual products in easily accessible locations for students. Although this bill received a majority of support in committee after hearing powerful testimony from girls and young women, legislators ultimately refused to allocate funding to meet the basic hygiene needs of students.
HB 436 by Rep. Aimee Freeman - would have changed our criminal HIV exposure law, which makes it a crime to knowingly expose another person to HIV without their informed consent, to require transmission of HIV for prosecution. These laws often reinforce the stigma associated with HIV and tend to target disproportionately vulnerable groups, such as racial minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and sex workers, exacerbating existing inequalities. This bill failed to move out of committee.
HB 833 by Rep. Paula Davis - would have protected in vitro fertilization, which we consider a critical treatment for couples facing infertility that allows them to conceive and build families. Although the bill passed the House with overwhelming support, an amendment was added in the Senate that would have complicated the provision of IVF, and the bill did not move forward.
HB 579 by Rep. McMahen - authorizes pharmacists to dispense HIV pre-exposure (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). This bill passed unanimously in both houses and was signed by the Governor. This will significantly enhance public health outcomes and access to care, even in rural and underserved areas.
Lift also opposed two bills that violated our fundamental human rights principles. Although it did not pass, HB 166 by Representative Boyd would have allowed any person who is convicted of a sex offense to be forced to undergo a vasectomy procedure. Disappointingly, SB 371 by Senator Barrow did pass. This bill allows the court to sentence someone to surgical castration if they commit an aggravated sex offense against a victim under the age of 13 years. These kinds of punishments are misguided because there is no evidence that sterilization deters sexual offenses and they are often arbitrarily applied or targeted at people with disabilities, racial minorities, and the economically disadvantaged.
In these challenging times, it is crucial to remain steadfast in our commitment to reproductive rights and we will continue to push for protective policies. We will also remain vigilant against legislation that threatens to undermine the fundamental freedoms and healthcare choices that we all deserve. Together, we can ensure that our rights are protected and that every person has the autonomy to make decisions about their own body.
Community Engagement
This year, we continued our work to engage and welcome community members into the legislative process by hosting Women on Wednesdays and partnered with over 14 organizations. Our sessions welcomed over 140+ people to the capitol with over 40 individuals attending more than once. We also held or participated in 6 events to brief the community about the impacts of legislation.
We are proud to say that we recruited, supported, and prepared testimony for more than 30 people, including legal and medical experts, people with lived experience, and advocates.
Lastly, we submitted 607 cards on bills that would impact the reproductive landscape in Louisiana.
Charting a Course Forward
There are only five months left in 2024 and each of them is important in the fight for reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. The laws passed by the Louisiana legislature do not protect the individual freedoms or rights of some of our most vulnerable communities. These bills were passed and signed into law after testimony from local experts, partners, and people with lived experiences. This is not democracy and for our vision to be realized, we must strengthen and elevate the voices of Louisianians across the state.
Lift Louisiana will be focused on leaning deeper into our work to build community across the state by intentionally working to connect with allies, partners, and community members. We believe that through these communities, we will be able to recruit and connect constituents with their legislators to ensure that their voices and concerns are considered throughout the legislative process. By fostering direct and meaningful interactions, we can work in partnership to create policies that truly reflect the needs and values of our communities.
We will launch a deep canvassing program this fall to engage deeply with Louisiana voters about abortion to gain a better understanding of their values and concerns. Canvassers will be equipped with tools and resources that enhance their ability to conduct in-depth conversations that focus on building relationships and learning what informs people’s opinions about abortion. We hope that these meaningful conversations lead to increased engagement from our new allies in the fight for reproductive rights.