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2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 283
BY REPRESENTATIVES NEWELL, BOYD, BRYANT, FREEMAN, GREEN, DANA
HENRY, LAFLEUR, TERRY LANDRY, LARVADAIN, MARCELLE,
MARTINEZ, MILLER, MURRAY, OWEN, PHELPS, AND TAYLOR
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:416(A)(1)(b)(i), and (c)(vii)(aa) and (cc) and to enact R.S.
3 17:15(A)(1)(b)(iii), 47(C)(1)(a)(iv), 416(A)(1)(c)(vii)(ee), 500.1(C)(3), 1201(C)(3),
4 and 1206.1(A)(3), relative to the assault and battery of students and school
5 employees; to provide for the sick leave of such employees; to provide for the
6 applicability of student disciplinary provisions; to provide for student disciplinary
7 procedures; to provide relative to student records; to provide for definitions; to
8 provide for applicability; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Teacher's Shield Act".
11 Section 2. R.S. 17:15(A)(1)(b)(iii) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 §15. Criminal history review
13 A.(1)
14 * * *
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1 (b)
2 * * *
3 (iii) Negligent hiring statutes or rules shall not apply to a dispute, litigation, or any
4 allegations when a city, parish, or other local public school board or a nonpublic school or
5 school system has hired a person as an administrator, teacher, substitute teacher, athletic
6 director, coach, or assistant coach, if the person has a valid teaching certificate or
7 authorization provided by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
8 * * *
9 Section 3. R.S. 17:416(A)(1)(b)(i) and (c)(vii)(aa) and (cc) are hereby amended and
10 reenacted and R.S. 17:47(C)(1)(a)(iv), 416(A)(1)(c)(vii)(ee), 500.1(C)(3), 1201(C)(3), and
11 1206.1(A)(3) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 §47. Sick and personal leave
13 * * *
14 C.(1)(a)
15 * * *
16 (iv) Such sick leave may be used for purposes that include but are not limited
17 to medical treatment, psychological treatment, and physical rehabilitation.
18 * * *
19 §416. Discipline of students; suspension; expulsion
20 A.(1)
21 * * *
22 (b)(i) Each teacher and school employee may take disciplinary action to
23 correct a student who violates school rules or who interferes with an orderly
24 education process. No principal or administrator shall prohibit or discourage a
25 teacher or school employee from taking disciplinary action, recommending
26 disciplinary action, or completing a form to initiate disciplinary action against a
27 student who violates school policy or who interferes with an orderly education
28 process. No principal or administrator shall retaliate or take adverse employment
29 action against a teacher or school employee for taking disciplinary action against a
30 student. Each school shall annually provide written notice at the beginning of each
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1 school year to each teacher and school employee, including bus operators, of their
2 rights to take or request disciplinary action against a student in accordance with this
3 Section. Notice shall also include eligibility for sick and personal leave in the event
4 that a school employee is injured by a student who committed an assault or battery
5 against a teacher in accordance with R.S. 14:34.3 or R.S. 14:38.2. The provisions of
6 this Item shall apply only if the disciplinary action that the teacher or school
7 employee takes is in accordance with policy adopted by the public school governing
8 authority.
9 * * *
10 (c)
11 * * *
12 (vii)(aa) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, whenever a
13 student is formally accused of violating the provisions of R.S. 14:34.3 or school
14 disciplinary rules, or both, by committing a battery on any school employee either
15 on or off of school property or is formally accused of violating the provisions of R.S.
16 14:38.2 or school disciplinary rules, or both, by committing an assault on any school
17 employee either on or off of school property, the principal shall suspend the student
18 from school immediately and the student shall be removed immediately from the
19 school premises or prohibited from returning to the school premises, as applicable,
20 without the benefit of the out-of-school suspension procedures provided by this
21 Section; however, the necessary notifications and other procedures shall be
22 implemented as soon as is practicable. For purposes of this Item, "school employee"
23 means any person employed by the school and any substitute teacher, substitute bus
24 operator, or school volunteer. The provisions of this Item shall apply to an incident
25 that occurs off of school property only if the incident is a continuation of a
26 documented altercation that began on school property.
27 * * *
28 (cc) Except when the school system has no other school of suitable grade
29 level for the student to attend, no student found guilty by a court of competent
30 jurisdiction of violating the provisions of R.S. 14:34.3 or 38.2, or both, or found
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1 guilty at a school system suspension hearing of committing a battery or assault, or
2 both, on any school employee, or both, shall be assigned to attend or shall attend the
3 school to which the school employee battered or assaulted by the student is assigned.
4 The principal or his designee shall immediately recommend the student's expulsion,
5 which shall be subject to the provisions of Subsection C of this Section except as
6 provided in this Subitem. Any such expulsion shall be no less than two complete
7 school semesters in duration, during which time the superintendent shall place the
8 student in an alternative school or in an alternative educational placement as
9 provided in Subparagraph (2)(c) of this Subsection and the student shall participate
10 in an anger management program. A student expelled as provided in this Subitem
11 shall not, under any circumstances, be assigned to or allowed to attend the school to
12 which the student or school employee battered or assaulted by the student is
13 assigned. However, except as otherwise provided in this Subitem, discipline of a
14 student with exceptionalities shall not conflict with Paragraphs (5) and (6) of this
15 Subsection, R.S. 17:1941 et seq., and 20 U.S.C. 1415(k).
16 * * *
17 (ee) All documentation relative to the provisions of this Item shall be
18 included and maintained in the student's records.
19 * * *
20 §500.1. School bus operators; sick leave
21 * * *
22 C.
23 * * *
24 (3) Such sick leave may be used for purposes that include but are not limited
25 to medical treatment, psychological treatment, and physical rehabilitation.
26 * * *
27 §1201. Amount of sick leave; reimbursement; injury on the job
28 * * *
29 C.
30 * * *
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1 (3) Such sick leave may be used for purposes that include but are not limited
2 to medical treatment, psychological treatment, and physical rehabilitation.
3 * * *
4 §1206.1. School employees; sick leave
5 A.
6 * * *
7 (3) Such sick leave may be used for purposes that include but are not limited
8 to medical treatment, psychological treatment, and physical rehabilitation.
9 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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