BOATS/SHIPS/VESSELS: Provides relative to personal watercraft
HB 756 amends Louisiana's watercraft operation rules to clarify right-of-way procedures, collision reporting requirements, and enforcement protocols for all vessel operators. It specifies that motorboats must yield to sailboats, vessels approaching docks must give way, and operators must report collisions causing death, injury, or property damage exceeding $500 within five days. The bill also defines "boating incidents" and requires registered boat owners to report thefts to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries within five days. These changes directly affect all recreational and commercial vessel operators navigating Louisiana waterways.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2026
Signed May 11, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB756 Original
→
HB756 Act
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was formally enrolled and renumbered as Act No. 84. The text of the law was significantly reorganized and renumbered, shifting from a list of navigation rules to a structured format with specific subsections. The core content regarding right-of-way rules and reporting requirements for boating incidents appears to have been preserved but reformatted, with some minor phrasing adjustments and the addition of a new subsection regarding collisions.
Scope change
The scope of the bill's applicability remains focused on the operation of vessels and the reporting of boating incidents, but the internal structure of the regulations has been altered to improve clarity and organization.
TECHNICAL
The bill was transitioned from an original draft to an enrolled Act, changing the header and page count to reflect final legislative approval.
The navigation rules section was renumbered and restructured, changing the order and numbering of rules regarding right-of-way and vessel maneuvers.
The definitions and reporting requirements for boating incidents were reorganized into a new numbered subsection format, with minor wording changes to clarify duties for operators involved in collisions.
Floor votes · Senate May 5, 2026 · House Mar 30, 2026
How they voted
36–0
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 40
May 5, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 20, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 15, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Mar 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (11-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Bryan Fontenot
RRepublican
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HB 756
Scope: LA
Hi! I can help you understand HB 756. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline