SB 410 Louisiana Senate · 2026 Regular Session

CRIME/PUNISHMENT: Provides enhanced penalties for accessories after the fact to sex offenses. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

This bill amends Louisiana law to impose stricter penalties on individuals who help sex offenders avoid arrest or punishment after a crime has occurred. It directly affects people who harbor, conceal, or assist sex offenders with the intent to help them escape legal consequences. Under the new provisions, anyone convicted of being an accessory to a sex offense must receive a mandatory minimum sentence equal to at least half of the minimum sentence the principal offender would face, with no parole or probation allowed for cases involving life imprisonment. The law also clarifies that accessories can be prosecuted even if the original offender has not yet been caught or tried.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Mar 18, 2026 Signed May 29, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB410 Original → SB410 Act 507 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends the law regarding accessories after the fact to sex offenses, significantly increasing the potential prison sentences for those who help criminals escape. Under the new law, accessories face a minimum sentence of one-half the principal offender's minimum term and a maximum of one-half the principal offender's maximum term, whereas the previous law only capped the penalty at one-half of the maximum term with no minimum increase. Additionally, for offenses punishable by life imprisonment, the accessory now faces a mandatory minimum of ten years at hard labor without parole, replacing the previous standard which did not specify a minimum term for this category.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of enhanced penalties to apply to all sex offenses, not just those punishable by life imprisonment, by establishing a new mandatory minimum sentence structure.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the sentencing formula for accessories to sex offenses from a cap on the maximum sentence to a range that includes a mandatory minimum sentence of one-half the principal offender's minimum term.

Established a specific mandatory minimum sentence of ten years at hard labor without parole for accessories to sex offenses punishable by life imprisonment, removing the previous lack of a minimum term requirement.

TIMELINE

Updated the document header to reflect that the bill is now an enrolled Act (Act No. 507) rather than a draft bill, indicating it has passed all legislative stages.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 30, 2026 · House May 13, 2026

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

Mar 30, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% Yea

R Republican28

27 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amendments proposed by the House read and concurred in by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays.

upper

May 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 86, nays 7. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

lower

May 7, 2026

Introduced

Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

lower

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (10-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors