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Attorney General Liz Murrill Announces Landmark 24 Bill Package
Today, Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the successful
passage of a landmark 24-bill legislative package. This achievement follows the
14 Attorney General-sponsored bills that were enacted into law last year. The 2026
legislative session ends today at 6:00 p.m.
“Thank you to all the members of the House and Senate who
were instrumental in carrying and fighting for these bills throughout the
legislative process. Together we are bringing transformative change by holding
criminals accountable, protecting our kids from predators, giving voice to victims,
and safeguarding the tax dollars of the hard-working men and women of this State,"
said Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Attorney General Murrill's sponsored bills:
HB51 & HB58 / Act 285 by Rep. Debbie Villio
This bill protects our most
vulnerable by prohibiting post-conviction bail for offenders convicted of an
aggravated offense against a minor victim. Such offenses include rape,
aggravated kidnapping, and sexual battery of a child.
HB53 / Act 48 by Rep. Bryan Fontenot
This bill updates state RICO laws to help dismantle illegal
gambling operations by following the money, not just issuing minor penalties to
low level actors. Gaming crimes now run through websites, apps, payment
processors, and coordinated networks. These activities are also tied to illegal
operations such as trafficking (guns, drugs, and humans) and money laundering.
HB102 / Act 120 by Rep. Jeff Wiley
This bill expands the definition of first-degree murder to include
shootings and gang violence in public venues. This change in the law is a
direct response the shooting at the Mall of Louisiana which took the life of
17-year-old Martha Odom, an innocent bystander eating in the Food Court with
friends.
The bill also creates the crime of second-degree cruelty to
the elderly and persons with infirmities. It fixes a gap in our existing law, bringing
the penalties in line with the protections provided to our children, and
protects those with intellectual disabilities, in mental health facilities, and
nursing homes.
HB131 /Act 54 by Rep. Tony Bacala
This bill closes an loophole where criminals may be prematurely
released on bail before the State has exhausted its rights to appeal when a
claim for post-conviction relief is granted by a district court without a stay.
This change ensures that a convicted individual remains in jail until the
appellate process is complete.
HB185 / Act 133 by Rep. Michael Melerine
This bill ensures that any independent contractor, or their
contractors, is covered for workers compensation claims. This change in the law
legislatively overrules McBride v Old Republic, a state supreme court
decision which found that the statutory definition of independent contractors
did not fall within the manual labor exception.
HB243 by Rep. Roger Wilder
This bill mandates what is already standard practice: that
when a District Attorney recuses from a prosecution, the Attorney General steps
into the shoes of the District Attorney to prosecute the case. The bill also
ensures that only a qualified prosecutor will be appointed to prosecute the
case in the event the Attorney General also has a conflict.
HB251 by Rep. Mandie Landry
This bill requires Louisiana courts give crime victims the opportunity to be heard before vacating a final conviction or reducing an offender’s sentence through resentencing. It also requires written notice to victims and allows a victim’s family to speak if the victim is deceased or disabled. This bill further delivers on the Attorney General’s promise to advocate for victims of crime.
HB305 / Act 65 by Rep. Kim Carver
This bill will minimize the need to duplicate and share
child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in investigations. The current unnecessary
step of duplication re-victimizes the minor depicted in the CSAM.
HB310 by Rep. Josh Carlson
Judge-shopping is a serious threat to the integrity of our
judicial system. This bill requires that a case be re-allotted to another judge
when a criminal defendant waives trial by jury. The District Attorney (Or AG)
can waive reallocation.
HB335 by Rep. Chance Henry
This bill addresses extends requires citizenship
verification to NGOs before providing taxpayer-funded assistance, applying the
same standard already required of state agencies and other entities providing
taxpayer-funded assistance.
HB336 / Act 104 by Speaker Pro-Temp Mike Johnson
HB 336 fills a gap in state law by establishing a 30-day
deadline for habeas petitioners to move to reopen their state PCR proceedings
and mandates expedited treatment by the district court and courts of appeals.
The bill thus protects the State’s and victims’ interest in finality of criminal
convictions.
HB414 by Rep. Emily Chenevert
This bill ensures individuals convicted of offenses in
another state are prohibited from working in Medicaid-related fields. The law
already prohibits a person who has been convicted in Louisiana from that
employment. This bill creates an even playing field and protects our most
vulnerable from further exploitation by individuals convicted of rape,
molestation, fraud, and more.
HB789 by Rep. Jay Gallé
This bill allows law enforcement agencies to
seize off-road vehicles that are used in violation of the law. It is
an additional tool for law enforcement to tackle the violent street gangs
roaming through our neighborhoods and causing chaos.
HB1224 by Rep. Dixon McMakin
HB 1224 ensures that minors who become pregnant at age 12 or
under are flagged for assessment and support services through DCFS. It also
makes pregnant children aged 17 or younger eligible for DCFS services,
including medical coordination. It adds “when a child is 12 years of age or
younger” to the grounds for which DCFS or district attorneys may bring a
petition for child in need of care. This bill ensures minor victims of first-degree
rape receive support and services.
SB 336 / Act 16 by Sen. Jay Luneau
This bill authorizes the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud
Control Unit to investigate fraud before bringing litigation using a civil
investigative demand (CID). The CID is
intended for use in a civil investigation and may only be issued prior to the
filing of a lawsuit. This is another tool in the toolbox to fight fraud and
abuse in the Medicaid system.
SB 139 / Act 13 by Sen. Franklin Foil
This Act protects taxpayer dollars by ensuring that the
State never pays a higher interest rate than private parties in personal injury
cases. Judicial interest for State defendants was previously a flat 6%. Under
this law, the State will pay either 6% or the private party rate, whichever is
lower.
SB 46 / Act 201 by Sen. Mike Reese
This law prohibits the practice of “renting” homes to
at-risk individuals who receive assistance with their activities of daily
living, where those homes are not maintained in a safe and clean condition. Previously,
bad actors would take a victim’s assistance dollars as rental payments while
providing an overcrowded or unsafe living arrangement under the guise of
“consent.”
SB 110 / Act 211 by Sen. Heather Cloud
This law makes it illegal to use the image of a child for
the purpose of generating child sexual abuse materials through artificial
intelligence. This bill further protects children from being victimized by new
forms of technology.
SB 42 by Sen. Rick Edmonds
The bill expands the definition of “child sexual abuse
materials” to include computer generated images. It clarifies that depicting
children in sexual performance, even when generated entirely through artificial
intelligence, is classified as “child sexual abuse materials.” This bill,
similarly to SB 110, further protects children from being victimized by new
forms of technology.
SB 156 by Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter
This legislation protects our youth by increasing the
maximum allowable penalty from 10 years to up to 15 years in cases of negligent
homicide. In special circumstances when the victim is under 13 and the death
was the result of criminally negligent mistreatment, abuse, or neglect, it
establishes a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and sets the maximum
allowable penalty at 20 years.
SB 389 by Sen. Patrick Connick
This legislation protects student athletes by establishing
regulatory guidelines for the athlete agents who pursue Name, Image, and
Likeness deals on their behalf. It gives
student athletes the right to sue agents directly for actual damages, attorney
fees, and forfeiture of the agent’s compensation if they suffer harm to their
eligibility, finances, or reputation. It also introduces background checks and
disclosure requirements for agents.
SB162 / Act 95 by Sen. Alan Seabaugh
This bill ensures all medical evidence submitted by a
claimant seeking worker’s compensation is reviewed by the Medical Director of
the Worker’s Compensation Review Panel.
SB201 by Sen. Jay Morris
This bill aligns ensures that the trier of fact’s
determination that juvenile should be sentenced to life without possibility of
parole is given paramount consideration in any secondary hearing, such as in
post-conviction relief, to determine whether the juvenile may be permitted
eligibility for parole.
Happy Sine Die everyone!