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HB1234 • 2026

CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to penalties for hit-and-run driving (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to penalties for hit-and-run driving (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Alonzo Knox
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Passed the Senate
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide specific details about penalties for repeat offenders beyond the initial offense involving death or serious injury.

Law to Punish Hit-and-Run Drivers More Severely

This bill increases penalties for hit-and-run drivers who cause death or serious injury, especially if the victim is a pedestrian or bicyclist.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the minimum prison time from two years to five years and raises the maximum fine from $5,000 to up to ten years in jail with hard labor for hit-and-run drivers who cause death or serious injury.
  • Requires at least two years of any sentence given to be served without parole, probation, or suspension if a pedestrian or bicyclist is injured or killed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Drivers who cause death or serious injury in hit-and-run accidents.
  • Pedestrians and bicyclists injured or killed by hit-and-run drivers.

Terms To Know

Hit-and-Run Driving
Leaving the scene of an accident without stopping to help or report it.
Serious Bodily Injury
An injury that causes significant physical harm, such as broken bones or severe lacerations.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for hit-and-run incidents without death or serious injury.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and whether it will effectively reduce hit-and-run accidents.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  2. 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.

  3. 2026-05-21 S

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

  4. 2026-05-20 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  5. 2026-05-19 S

    Reported favorably.

  6. 2026-05-12 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

  7. 2026-05-11 S

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

  8. 2026-05-07 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  9. 2026-05-07 H

    Called from the calendar.

  10. 2026-05-06 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.

  11. 2026-05-06 H

    Notice given.

  12. 2026-04-15 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  13. 2026-04-14 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.

  14. 2026-04-13 H

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

  15. 2026-04-09 H

    Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 84 reported by the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice (9-0).

Official Summary Text

CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to penalties for hit-and-run driving (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-3257 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1234 (Substitute for House Bill No. 84 by Representative Knox)
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to penalties for hit-and-run driving
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:100(C)(2) and (3), relative to driving offenses; to provide
3 relative to the crime of hit-and-run driving; to provide relative to pedestrians and
4 bicyclists; to provide for penalties; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:100(C)(2) and (3) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
7 follows:
8 §100. Hit-and-run driving
9 * * *
10 C.
11 * * *
12 (2)(a) Whoever commits the crime of hit-and-run driving when death or
13 serious bodily injury is a direct result of the accident, when the driver knew or should
14 have known that death or serious bodily injury has occurred, and the driver's vehicle
15 was directly involved in the accident, shall be fined not more than five thousand
16 dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than two years nor more
17 than ten years, two of which shall be served without the benefit of parole, probation,
18 or suspension of sentence, or both.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-3257 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 1234
1 (b) If the victim is a pedestrian or a bicyclist, at least two years of the
2 sentence imposed shall be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or
3 suspension of sentence.
4 (3)(a) Whoever commits the crime of hit-and-run driving, where all of the
5 following conditions are met, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not
6 less than five years nor more than twenty years:
7 (a) (i) Death or serious bodily injury is a direct result of the accident.
8 (b) (ii) The driver knew or must should have known that the vehicle he was
9 operating was involved in an accident or that his operation of the vehicle was the
10 direct cause of an accident.
11 (c) (iii) The driver had been previously convicted of any of the following:
12 (i) (aa) A violation of R.S. 14:98, or a law or an ordinance of any state or
13 political subdivision prohibiting operation of any vehicle or means of transportation
14 or conveyance while intoxicated, impaired, or while under the influence of alcohol,
15 drugs, or any controlled dangerous substance on two or more occasions within ten
16 years of this offense.
17 (ii) (bb) A violation of R.S. 14:32.1-vehicular homicide. (vehicular
18 homicide)
19 (iii) (cc) A violation of R.S. 14:39.1-vehicular negligent injuring. (vehicular
20 negligent injuring)
21 (iv) (dd) A violation of R.S. 14:39.2-first degree vehicular negligent injuring.
22 (first degree vehicular negligent injuring)
23 (b) If the victim is a pedestrian or a bicyclist, at least five years of the
24 sentence imposed shall be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or
25 suspension of sentence.
26 Section 2. This Act shall be cited and referred to as the "Christina Larsen Act".
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-3257 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 1234
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 1234 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Knox
Abstract: Provides relative to penalties for hit-and-run driving and enhances penalties
when victims are pedestrians or bicyclists.
Present law provides for the crime of hit-and-run driving and applicable penalties.
Proposed law retains present law and provides for penalties as follows:
(1) For a violation of present law (R.S. 14:100(C)(2)), a requirement that at least two
years of the sentence imposed be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or
suspension of sentence if the victim is a pedestrian or a bicyclist.
(2) For a violation of present law (R.S. 14:100(C)(3)), a requirement that at least five
years of the sentence imposed be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or
suspension of sentence if the victim is a pedestrian or a bicyclist.
Proposed law may be cited and referred to as the "Christina Larsen Act".
(Amends R.S. 14:100(C)(2) and (3))
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.