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HB1153 • 2026

ENVIRONMENT/ENFORCEMENT: Authorizes parishes and municipalities to declare bans on burning

ENVIRONMENT/ENFORCEMENT: Authorizes parishes and municipalities to declare bans on burning

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Kimberly Coates
Last action
2026-05-28
Official status
Sent to Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on civil and criminal penalties, only that they are established.

Burning Bans for Parishes and Municipalities

This bill allows parishes and municipalities to declare temporary bans on burning during hazardous fire conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows parish governing authorities to declare a ban on burning when there is an elevated risk of wildfire or uncontrolled fires.
  • Requires notice of the burn ban to be published in the official parish journal and allows for additional public notices through various communication channels.
  • Specifies that municipal governing authorities can also declare temporary bans on burning within their limits based on weather or environmental conditions.
  • Establishes civil penalties for violating a burn ban, with fines increasing for repeat offenses.
  • Sets criminal penalties if violations cause significant property damage or damage to critical infrastructure.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Parish and municipal governing authorities who can declare bans on burning.
  • Residents of parishes and municipalities where burn bans are declared.
  • Local fire departments, emergency management officials, and law enforcement agencies responsible for enforcing the ban.

Terms To Know

Critical infrastructure
Important systems or assets that provide essential services to the community, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and transportation networks.
Prescribed burns
Controlled fires conducted by certified personnel for land management purposes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact conditions under which a parish or municipality can declare a burn ban.
  • It is unclear how long a temporary ban on burning can last without specific renewal requirements.
  • The bill does not provide details about the process for lifting a ban once it has been declared.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB1153 4024 3955 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB1153 4024 3955 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to Original House Bill No.
  • 1153 by Representative Coates 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 14, insert "The governing authority of the parish shall lift a ban 3 on burning when the risk ceases to be elevated." 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 On page 1, at the end of line 16, insert "Notice of the ban shall be published in the official 6 parish journal." 7 AMENDMENT NO.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB1153 4024 3909 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB1153 4024 3909 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to Original House Bill No.
  • 1153 by Representative Coates 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 14, insert "The governing authority of the parish shall lift a ban 3 on burning when the risk ceases to be elevated." 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 On page 1, at the end of line 16, insert "Notice of the ban shall be published in the official 6 parish journal." 7 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-28 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  2. 2026-05-27 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  3. 2026-05-27 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  4. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  5. 2026-05-26 S

    Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  6. 2026-05-20 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  7. 2026-05-19 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  8. 2026-05-18 S

    Reported favorably.

  9. 2026-04-28 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.

  10. 2026-04-27 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  11. 2026-04-23 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 93, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  12. 2026-04-22 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/23/2026.

  13. 2026-04-21 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  14. 2026-04-20 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  15. 2026-04-01 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.

  16. 2026-03-31 H

    Read by title. Lies over under the rules.

Official Summary Text

ENVIRONMENT/ENFORCEMENT: Authorizes parishes and municipalities to declare bans on burning

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1153
BY REPRESENTATIVE COATES
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 40:1602.1, relative to outdoor burning; to authorize parishes and
3 municipalities to declare temporary burn bans during hazardous fire conditions; to
4 provide for enforcement; to provide for civil penalties; to establish criminal penalties
5 when violations cause significant property damage or damage to critical
6 infrastructure; to provide for restitution and recovery of fire suppression costs; and
7 to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 40:1602.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1602.1. Authority to declare burn bans; governing authorities; parish and
11 municipalities
12 A.(1) The governing authority of any parish may declare a temporary ban on
13 burning within all or any portion of the parish when environmental conditions create
14 an elevated risk of wildfire or uncontrolled fire spread. The governing authority of
15 the parish shall lift a ban on burning when the risk ceases to be elevated.
16 (2) A ban on burning may be declared by ordinance, resolution of the parish
17 governing authority, or emergency proclamation issued by the parish president.
18 Notice of the ban shall be published in the official parish journal.
19 (3) The parish may provide additional reasonable public notice of a burn ban
20 through available communication channels including parish websites, social media,
21 emergency alert systems, or local media outlets.
22 (4) A ban on burning may prohibit open burning, including but not limited
23 to the following:
24 (a) Burning of yard debris.
25 (b) Land clearing burns.
26 (c) Burning of construction debris.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 1153 ENROLLED
1 (d) Recreational fires not contained within fire pits or enclosures.
2 (5) The provisions of this Section do not apply to the following:
3 (a) Agricultural burning conducted in accordance with state law.
4 (b) Prescribed burns conducted by certified personnel.
5 (c) Cooking fires contained within grills or smokers.
6 (d) Recreational fires contained within fire pits or enclosures.
7 B.(1) The governing authority of any municipality may declare a temporary
8 ban on burning within municipal limits when weather or environmental conditions
9 create an elevated risk of wildfire or uncontrolled fire spread. The governing
10 authority of the municipality shall lift a ban on burning when the risk ceases to be
11 elevated.
12 (2) Municipal governing authorities may adopt ordinances establishing
13 procedures for issuing, extending, or terminating bans on burning.
14 (3) Municipal fire chiefs or emergency management officials may
15 recommend the issuance of a ban on burning based on fire risk conditions.
16 C.(1) Any person who knowingly and intentionally violates a ban on burning
17 declared pursuant to this Section shall be subject to civil penalties imposed by the
18 applicable parish or municipality.
19 (2) Civil penalties shall apply as follows:
20 (a) For a first offense, a five hundred dollar fine.
21 (b) For a second offense, a one thousand dollar fine.
22 (c) For a third or subsequent offense, a two thousand five hundred dollar
23 fine.
24 (3) Each day that a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense.
25 (4) Any person responsible for a fire resulting from a violation may be liable
26 for the costs of fire suppression and emergency response incurred by local fire
27 departments and municipal or parish governments.
28 D.(1) Any person who knowingly violates a ban on burning and whose
29 actions result in property damage exceeding five thousand dollars shall be fined not
30 more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 1153 ENROLLED
1 (2) Any person who knowingly violates a ban on burning and whose actions
2 result in damage to critical infrastructure, as defined in R.S. 14:61, shall be fined not
3 more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for
4 not more than five years, or both.
5 (3) In addition to the penalties provided in this Subsection, the offender shall
6 pay restitution pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Article 883.2 to the owner
7 of any property damaged by the violation.
8 E. In addition to local and state law enforcement agencies, the provisions of
9 this Section may be enforced by fire department personnel and municipal code
10 enforcement officers.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.