Action Alert #12 Rights for People with Disabilities

Two bills that may impact people with disabilities will likely be heard next week. You can take action on one or both issues. See below for what to do.

What You Need to Know

HB283 by Rep. Candace Newell – School Discipline and Student Rights

• Will be heard in Senate Education
• Changes how schools discipline students
• May impact students with disabilities

Action: Contact Senate Education Committee members

HB1107 by Rep. Michael Melerine – Intellectual Disability and the Death Penalty

• Will be heard on the House Floor
• Sets rules for how courts decide intellectual disability
• Changes (amendments) were made, but concerns remain

Action: Contact your State Representative

More information about each issue can be found below after the “How to Take Action” section.

How to Take Action

Your voice can help protect the rights of people with disabilities—take action by Monday, April 27^th.

➡️For HB283 – School Discipline and Rights

Email the Committee at [email protected]

Email the Chairman and Vice-Chair

Chairman Sen. Rick Edmonds – [email protected]

Vice-Chair Sen. Valarie Hodges – [email protected]

Email Committee Members

Sen. Sidney Barthelemy II – [email protected]

Sen. Kartina Jackson-Andrews – [email protected]

Sen. Blake Miguez – [email protected]

Sen. Beth Mizell – [email protected]

Sen. Bob Owen – [email protected]

Email the Bill Author

Rep. Candace Newell – [email protected]

➡️For HB1107 – Death Penalty and Disability

Email or call your State Representative

• State Representative full contact information.
• Not sure who your Representative is? Use the legislator look up tool HERE

What to Include in Your Message:

• Your name
• Your contact information
• The bill you are writing about (HB 283 or HB1107)
• Your position on the bill (do you or do you not support it)
• A short description of your experience or concerns about why you feel the way you do
• Thank them for listening

Contact your LaCAN Leader if you need help or want more information.

You can watch the meetings live and see when bills are scheduled on the Louisiana Legislature’s website.

More Information

➡️HB283 – School Discipline and Rights

What does the bill do?

HB 283:

• Increases consequences for students involved in assault or battery
• Limits flexibility in discipline decisions
• Expands school authority to include some off-campus behavior
• Allows serious consequences, including long-term removal from school

Key Concerns

Disability may not be considered first

Federal law requires schools to decide if behavior is related to a student’s disability before certain discipline decisions. This bill may limit that process, creating conflict with those protections.

Less flexibility and fewer protections

Schools may not be able to consider:

• The student’s disability
• What caused the behavior
• What supports could help

Impact on students not yet diagnosed

Students may be punished before disability is identified.

Off-campus behavior

Schools may discipline students for actions outside of school.

Access to education

Students removed from school still have a right to education. It is unclear how education will continue for students removed.

Disproportionate impact

Students with disabilities are already disciplined at higher rates, even with protections under federal law (IDEA). This bill could increase that gap.

Legal risks

Conflicts with federal law may lead to lawsuits and added costs for school systems and the state.

Why this matters?

HB 283 aims to improve school safety, but it may punish students for behaviors related to their disability. This means students may be disciplined instead of getting the help they need.

➡️HB1107 – Death Penalty and Disability

What does this bill do?

HB1107 sets rules for how courts decide if someone has an intellectual disability in death penalty cases.

This matters because people with intellectual disabilities cannot be executed under federal law.

What happened in committee?

The bill was amended to:

• Only apply to death penalty cases
• Not change disability rules in other areas, like services and supports

This is helpful, but does NOT fix the main concerns.

Why are there concerns?

IQ scores are not exact numbers

• The bill uses IQ scores in a strict way
• But doctors understand IQ as a range, not one fixed number

Daily life skills matter

• Doctors look at how a person functions each day
• This includes communication, social skills, and decision-making
• These are called adaptive skills

High level of proof

• The bill requires strong proof of disability
• This may not match how doctors evaluate people

Strict rules may miss the full picture

• People with I/DD have different strengths and needs
• Some may seem fine in one setting but still need support in daily life
• Strict rules may not show the whole person

Why does this matter?

Decisions about disability should:

• Look at the whole person
• Follow current medical standards
• Include real-life experiences

Even though this bill only applies to death penalty cases, how disability is defined in law can shape how it is understood more broadly.

Stay Informed

All the issues LaCAN and the Council will be following this legislative session can be found on the LaDDC 2026 Bill Tracking List.

Confirm Your Action

• Email your LaCAN Leader after you take action
• Why confirm your action? This helps the Council know how effective we are reaching you with important information and engaging members across our state in advocacy for systems change.

Tips & Tools for Advocacy

Looking for tips and tools to help you in your advocacy? Check out the Council’s Advocacy 101 page. You can also find tips for:

• Writing/emailing your legislators
• Calling your legislators
• Writing your story