The Louisiana Legislature has adjourned its 2026 Regular Legislative Session! CPAL’s legislative priorities panned out as follows:

We worked toward funding the results of the I/DD rate studies.

• Through HB1 (the state budget), the HCBS (Waiver) rate increase was funded with an increase of $33.6 million ($10.7 million SGF / $22.9 million Federal Match). The state funds were drawn from the Community Options Fund and the Disability Services Fund. CPAL will work with LDH on implementation over the next months and come back for full implementation in the next budget cycle.

• ICF rates experienced an inflationary adjustment for FY27 of $8.6 million ($2.7 million SGF / $5.9 million Federal Match). CPAL continues its work with OCDD on the Meyers & Stauffer rate study implementation through administrative rulemaking.

We prioritized strengthening Support Coordination

• CPAL responded to LDH’s notice for Public Comment on changes to the EarlySteps program with five pages of public comment (linked here) addressing our array of concerns.

CPAL worked to address the workforce barrier of background checks for non-licensed healthcare professionals.

·       SCR3 by Senator Brach Myers suspended the Department of Public Safety’s administrative rule change from last Fall regarding fingerprinting requirements for non-licensed healthcare professionals.

·       HB414 by Representative Emily Chenevert, as part of Attorney General Murrill’s legislative agenda, was meant to cite and define new offenses to restrict employment eligibility in our field and ambulance services. We were able to explicitly narrow the mechanisms of a “hit” by background check companies, therefore expediting our hiring processes.

The Legislature endorsed the Florida Redetermination Law

·       SCR20 by Senator Bill Wheat encourages Louisiana’s federal delegation to change federal law and effectuate the change (SB2514) passed by the Florida legislature last year from a 1 to 5 year Medicaid eligibility redetermination period for the elderly and I/DD population.

One of the CPAL’s three mission pillars is advocacy. We elevate our members’ voices at the state legislature in Baton Rouge and with our federal delegation in Washington. 

A few of our wins in the 2024 Louisiana state legislative session included: 

• Increased funding for HCBS and ICF providers in the FY25 state budget (a total of $53M in new investments in reimbursement rates).

• Passage of SCR17, which directs LDH to increase the income and asset limits for the Medicaid buy-in program. 

• Passage of HCR73, which directs LDH to create a professional consulting nursing services billing code in the NOW, ROW, and Supports Waiver. 

The CPAL’s legislative agenda is determined by our members. If you’re not already a member, we invite you to get involved and help to shape the future of disability services policy in Louisiana!