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HB 858 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Establishes a public records exemption for Global Positioning System data collected on wildlife and aquatic life

HB 858 exempts GPS location data collected by Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on individual wildlife and aquatic animals from public records disclosure. The bill amends state law to explicitly exclude this specific data from being released under public records requests. This directly affects the department's ability to share such data with the public, while protecting the precise locations of individual animals from potential misuse. The key provision prevents the release of GPS information that could reveal where specific animals are located.
Issues: ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExempts GPS wildlife data from public disclosure to prevent misuse (e.g., poaching), directly protecting species and habitats, thus supporting conservation efforts.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExempts GPS wildlife tracking data from public disclosure, protecting location privacy from misuse per bill's intent to prevent potential harm to animals.85% confidence
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 15, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB858 Original → HB858 Act · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was converted from a proposed draft to an enrolled act, receiving final approval from the Governor. The substantive policy content remains unchanged, establishing a public records exemption to protect GPS data on individual wildlife and aquatic life collected by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to exempt specific wildlife GPS data from public records requests.
TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill identifier (HLS 26RS-1184) and replaced it with the final Act number (Act No. 181).

Removed the House digest and abstract sections, which are informational summaries not part of the final law.

Added signatures and approval stamps from the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and the Governor, finalizing the bill as law.

Adjusted page numbering and formatting headers to reflect the transition from a proposed bill to an enrolled act.

Floor votes · Senate May 12, 2026 · House Mar 30, 2026

How they voted

35–0
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 40
May 12, 2026
D Democratic12
8 Yea 4
66% Yea
R Republican28
27 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 28, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Mar 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (12-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Neil Riser
Neil Riser
RRepublican
LA
20