House Bill No. 661, introduced by Representative Fontenot, amends the existing nepotism laws in Louisiana to allow local school boards to hire immediate family members of board members or superintendents for specific positions, namely as paraprofessionals, custodians, or cafeteria workers. This exception is contingent upon the family member meeting the necessary qualifications for the position. Additionally, any school board member or superintendent who has an immediate family member employed in such a capacity is required to recuse themselves from decisions regarding the promotion or assignment of that employee.

The bill retains the general prohibition against employing immediate family members of governing authority members or chief executives in governmental entities but adds this specific exception for school boards. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility in hiring practices within school systems while maintaining ethical standards by ensuring that conflicts of interest are managed through recusal. The House amendments also expanded the scope of the exception to include cafeteria workers.