BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Legislature adjourned the 2024 Regular Session after working 90 days debating a wide range of bills and resolutions. The $43.7 billion state operating budget received final passage prioritizing major investment in infrastructure, education funding and economic development.

In addition, legislators voted to distribute excess and surplus dollars towards one-time capital outlay projects, transportation infrastructure and statewide emergencies. The funds include:
       Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Fund
       Higher Education Campus Revitalization Fund, and
       Criminal Justice and First Responder Fund

Using approximately $717 million from the funds throughout House Bill 1 (operating budget) and HB 2 (capital outlay) lawmakers supported various shovel-ready projects for roads, bridges, college/university deferred maintenance, water/sewer systems, retrofitting correctional facilities and funding Troop NOLA.

“This is a historic level of investment on infrastructure,” said Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier. “Our state is in dire need of these upgrades and our citizens are ready for less talk and more action. I am proud that we were able to reach this goal while still limiting the overall growth of state government.”

“I’m very proud of the process used to develop the budget and the pace at which it was executed,” said
Senate President Cameron Henry. “We took our time and everyone clearly understood what was included in the version we sent to the House. It’s been a positive session all around with accomplishments in key areas including school choice, insurance reform, criminal justice and significant infrastructure investments. That’s what the people sent us here to accomplish and we delivered.”

Legislators also worked to provide relief related to the cost of insurance, to make changes to promote
safer environments with less crime for citizens and to foster education reforms for our schools.