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Lawmakers consider anti-hazing, student-restraint and school lunch bills

Aubri Juhasz
Aubri Juhasz
/
WWNO
Lawmakers are debating several bills that would affect students and teachers throughout the state.

A House bill requiring college students to complete additional anti-hazing education advanced from the Senate Education Committee on Thursday and will now head to the full Senate. The bill’s lead author, Rep. Delisha Boyd of New Orleans, said it was the recent hazing death of Southern University student and band member Caleb Wilson that inspired her to carry HB 279. Current state law already requires fraternity and sorority members to take a one-hour course each year aimed at preventing hazing, and the proposed legislation would increase the requirement to two hours.

A bill to amend current law on the use of restraint in schools also passed in the Senate Education Committee yesterday. HB 684 adds a requirement for crisis intervention training for teachers who work with students with disabilities and requires that cameras be installed in classrooms where those students are taught. The bill heads next to the Senate.

House lawmakers will also soon debate legislation to prohibit schools that receive state funding from serving foods with certain additives and preservatives. A hearing on the bill was originally planned for Thursday, but has been rescheduled for Monday. The bill, SB 14, is part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative and has the full support of Gov. Jeff Landry.

Before joining WRKF as the Capitol Access reporter, Brooke was the Assistant News Director at Louisiana Radio Network, where she also reported on statewide news and covered the state legislature.