House Bill No. 589, introduced by Representative Owen, aims to amend existing laws regarding the reporting requirements of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the state Department of Education (DOE). The bill stipulates that any law requiring these entities to submit reports to the legislature will become ineffective two years after the report's first publication unless renewed by the legislature. Additionally, if a renewal bill does not pass, the statute mandating the report will be considered repealed. The bill also includes provisions to reduce the number of required annual meetings for the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission from four to two and abolishes the task force associated with it.

Furthermore, the bill proposes the abolition of the Louisiana Environmental Education Commission, transferring its responsibilities for developing environmental education curriculum to the DOE. It also eliminates the Advisory Council on Student Behavior and Discipline, which previously advised BESE and DOE on best practices for student behavior and discipline. The changes are set to take effect on August 1, 2025, with the reporting provisions becoming effective a year later on August 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
HB589 Original: 17:205(A), 17:216(A), 17:51(H), 17:21(N)(3), 17:205(B)(1), 17:220(B)(5), 17:23(B)(6), 36:651(E)(2)
HB589 Engrossed: 17:205(A), 17:216(A), 17:101(G), 17:21(N)(3), 17:205(B)(1), 17:220(B)(5), 17:101(E)(8), 36:651(E)(2)