This bill amends Louisiana laws to increase penalties for hit-and-run driving when the accident results in death or serious injury. It specifically targets drivers who flee the scene after causing harm, with stricter sentences applied if the victim is a pedestrian or bicyclist. Under the new provisions, offenders face longer prison terms that must be served without parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, particularly if the driver has a prior record of drunk driving or vehicular homicide. The legislation also establishes that drivers who previously committed certain traffic offenses will receive even harsher mandatory minimum sentences for repeat hit-and-run incidents.
HB 784 updates Louisiana's sex offender registration laws by expanding the definition of "sex offense" to include specific crimes like human trafficking (R.S. 14:46.2), certain deepfake violations (R.S. 14:73.13), and offenses against minors such as child pornography (R.S. 14:81.1) and molestation (R.S. 14:81.2). It requires individuals convicted of these offenses to register with law enforcement within three business days of establishing Louisiana residency. The bill also clarifies registration requirements for offenders convicted under other jurisdictions' laws and updates court notification forms. This affects anyone convicted of the specified offenses who must comply with Louisiana's registration system.
HB 552 amends Louisiana's DWI laws to explicitly include "impaired" driving alongside "intoxicated" driving, expanding the scope of the offense to cover impairment from alcohol or drugs. It clarifies that city and municipal courts can handle first and second DWI offenses (with penalties matching state law), but third or subsequent offenses must be tried in district court with a jury. The bill also requires courts to assess additional costs when alcohol was a factor in any offense, and makes intoxilyzer test results automatically admissible as evidence in DWI cases. These changes directly affect drivers facing DWI charges, local courts handling such cases, and prosecutors presenting evidence.
HB 429 adds theft or unauthorized entry of oil and gas facilities - including drilling, production, transportation, and storage equipment - as a specific act that qualifies as terrorism under Louisiana law. It directly affects individuals who steal or trespass at these facilities by making such acts punishable as terrorism, not just theft. The bill defines "critical infrastructure" to explicitly include oil and gas operations and sets a minimum 20-year prison sentence for terrorism convictions involving these facilities. This amendment changes the legal classification of such crimes, increasing penalties for offenses previously treated as theft.
HB 137 increases penalties for threatening schools by adding a new offense: terrorizing or menacing school property, events, or firearm-free zones. It mandates 5-15 years in prison (no parole) for adults and fines up to $15,000 for such threats. Schools must distribute age-appropriate information about these crimes to students in grades 6+ and their parents annually. Parents or guardians of minors committing these acts face civil fines ($5,000-$10,000), and juvenile courts must consider restitution for response costs.
HB 158 modifies Louisiana's probation rules to address "technical violations" (like missing check-ins or failing drug tests) for certain defendants. It allows judges to impose up to 180 days in jail without reducing the overall probation sentence for individuals on probation for non-violent offenses (excluding crimes of violence or sex offenses). This applies only to violations not involving new criminal conduct, not to serious breaches. The bill does not change sentencing for new crimes but adds a specific penalty for administrative probation breaches. The measure is currently pending in committee review.
This Louisiana bill creates a specific offense for battery against school teachers, defined as battery committed when the perpetrator knows the victim is a teacher or targets them due to their job. It sets harsher penalties for non-student offenders (up to 5 years in jail or $5,000 fine) versus students (up to 1.5 years jail with 72 hours mandatory for minor cases, or up to 1 year for injuries requiring medical care). Juvenile offenders under 17 are handled under the Children's Code, requiring court-approved counseling (costs borne by the family) and secure detention for teens 14+ who commit this crime. The law applies to all school teachers during work duties and modifies juvenile court procedures for such offenses.
HB 108 prohibits individuals convicted of violent crimes (as defined in Louisiana law) or sex offenses (as defined in Louisiana law) from serving on criminal juries. The bill amends the state's Code of Criminal Procedure to add this requirement as a specific disqualification for jury service. This change directly affects people with prior convictions for these offenses, barring them from jury duty in criminal cases. The law would apply to all criminal jury panels across Louisiana, modifying the existing qualifications outlined in Article 401(A)(6). The bill focuses solely on defining who cannot serve, not on other aspects of jury selection or criminal procedure.
SB 81 requires written consent from the district attorney for defendants to waive a jury trial in noncapital felony cases. It changes Louisiana law to mandate that courts deny such waiver requests without the prosecutor's written approval, effective within 45 days before trial. The bill's implementation depends on voter approval of a related constitutional amendment (Article 1, Section 17(A)). This directly affects defendants in noncapital felony cases and prosecutors who must now provide written consent for jury waivers. The bill is currently in the prefiling stage (prefiled February 20, 2026) and not yet enacted.
SB 258 changes Louisiana law to require that 17-year-olds and older be prosecuted in district court for traffic offenses, rather than juvenile court. It amends the Children's Code by redefining "delinquent act" to include traffic violations for individuals under 17, meaning traffic offenses committed by 17- to 20-year-olds will now be treated as criminal matters in adult court. The bill directly affects teens aged 17-20 who commit traffic violations, shifting their cases from juvenile proceedings to standard criminal prosecution. This change removes the previous exclusion of traffic violations from juvenile court jurisdiction for this age group. The bill is currently prefiled and awaiting committee referral.
