La. lawmakers get ready for coming session
by Mike Hasten - News Star (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE — While much of the attention in next month's legislative session is focused on balancing the budget, reforming public education and restructuring state retirement systems, state lawmakers also will be dealing with topics that affect everyday life.

HB11 by New Orleans Rep. Tony Ligi would require school boards to publish on their websites, starting with the 2013-14 school year, student dress and conduct codes, disciplinary policies, suspension and expulsion policies and appeals, bullying prevention procedures and minutes of board meetings.

Failure to report an act of child abuse would become a felony crime under SB4 filed by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans. It would set a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and a jail sentence of five years. A related bill in the House, HB75 by Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Livingston, would impose a fine and possible imprisonment for failure to report the death of a child or that a child is missing. The penalty increases if failure to report a missing child in a timely manner results in serious injury or death of the child.