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The Louisiana House of Representatives on May 6 unanimously passed a trio of bills by Metairie Republican Rep. Laurie Schlegel, ranging from the sale of consumable hemp products to monitoring children’s use of online platforms.
House Bill 37 would require online platforms to notify a parent or guardian “via text, voice, email” or a “parental control interface” anytime anyone under 18 “makes a connection” with another user, makes a microtransaction or is exposed to “sexually explicit material” on their platform.
The bill defines “connect” as “the linking, associating, or interacting of user accounts between an adult and a minor on a covered platform, including but not limited to subscribing or friending.” Parents or guardians could opt out of the notifications.
Individuals could sue platform owners or operators who don’t follow the rules. If it becomes law, it would take effect March 1, 2026.
Schlegel framed the bill as a way to prevent the grooming of children online, which made it hard to publicly oppose, despite questions over how the bill would work and whether it would be effective.
At an April 28 committee meeting, only Hannah and Steve Duke, both lobbyists representing the video game industry associationEntertainment Software Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.
Hannah Duke said she was concerned about the bill creating a “cause of action” to sue platforms, especially when children could lie about their age or otherwiseattempt to get around parental controls.
She said the Entertainment Software Rating Board already offers options for parents who want to monitor their children’s video game usage, including tools they can use to decide if their child can communicate with or friend anyone in the game and set time limits on how long their child can play. Some video games, she added, allow parents to watch their child play the game in real time.
Rep. John Wyble, a Franklinton Republican, said just because some children could try to get around the law doesn’t mean lawmakers shouldn’t pass it, citing the legal drinking age as an example.
But he went a step further to advise Hannah Duke not to speak up against these kinds of bills in the future.
“It’s frankly not a good look for your clients to be up here,” Wyble said. “And my very friendly advice on this bill is I wouldn’t repeat this mistake. We have to protect children.”
Consumable hemp
HB 36 is a bit more confusing, adding consumable hemp to the list of products under the Drug Dealer Liability Act alongside cocaine and meth, while still keeping in place the rules the legislature passed last year regulating the legal sale of such products.
Schlegel said under the bill, if someone was harmed by an illegal sale of consumable hemp products, they could sue the seller for compensation.
An illegal sale would be any sale that does not follow state laws surrounding the products, including the sale of them to anyone younger than 21 or by someone who isnot licensed to sell them. Products made out of state would still need to follow Louisiana rules if being sold in state, Schlegel said.
Consumable hemp products include the popular THC seltzers, which are sold in many grocery stores in the state.
Blaine Jennings, owner of Virgin Hemp Farms, was the only one to speak out against the bill in committee.
“It just makes it hard to continue to do business in this state,” he said.“That’s why I moved part of my business to Texas last year. That’s why I’m growing in Mississippi for medical this year.”
Donated medical supplies
The House also easily passed HB 16, which would keep nonprofits from being sued if they donate medical supplies that ends up leading to injury, death, loss of any other damages — unless the person suing can prove the damages or injury were “caused by gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct of the nonprofit organization.”
Schlegel said she brought the bill at the request of Tom Kennedy, an OB-GYN and director of New Orleans Medical Mission Services. The nonprofit donates unused medical supplies and equipment to people who need them.
Jennifer Esler, with the nonprofit, said the bulk of their donations come from hospitals, outpatient surgical centers and physicians’ offices, while others are from families who have lost someone and have medical equipment and supplies left over that they need to get rid of.
“There’s so much waste in the medical field, and what better way to put to use these items than to give them to people who cannot afford to buy them,” Esler said.
”}]] The Louisiana House of Representatives passed both bills by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, a Metairie Republican, unanimously. Read More
