WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Provides with respect to seizure of sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife

HLS 26RS-5040 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1258 (Substitute for House Bill No. 662 by Representative Geymann)
BY REPRESENTATIVES GEYMANN AND VENTRELLA
WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Provides with respect to seizure of sick, injured, or orphaned
wildlife
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 56:126.1, relative to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; to provide for
3 the disposition of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife species seized as a result of
4 unlawful possession; to establish a preference for release, rehabilitation, and
5 placement with licensed facilities; to provide for euthanasia only when no feasible
6 alternatives exist and under specified circumstances; and to provide for related
7 matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 56:126.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §126.1. Disposition of wildlife seized for unlawful possession; euthanasia
11 A. This Section shall be applicable to any wildlife held in violation of R.S.
12 56:126 that is seized by the department for unlawful possession. For purposes of this
13 Section, wildlife seized by the department shall be referred to as "contraband
14 wildlife".
15 B. Contraband wildlife shall be evaluated by department field staff or by a
16 veterinarian to determine the appropriate disposition.
17 C. The department shall dispose of contraband wildlife in accordance with
18 the following order of preference:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 1258
HLS 26RS-5040 ENGROSSED
1 (1) If the contraband wildlife is clinically healthy, past the age of
2 independence, and release of the species into the wild is not prohibited by law or
3 regulation, the department shall release the wildlife into a suitable habitat.
4 (2) If the contraband wildlife is sick, injured, or otherwise not immediately
5 releasable, but is capable of being rehabilitated, the department shall place the
6 wildlife with a wildlife rehabilitator permitted by the department who is authorized
7 to possess the species and who is willing to accept the wildlife. Wildlife placed with
8 a rehabilitator shall remain in the rehabilitator's possession until it can be released
9 to the wild or until the rehabilitator, in consultation with the department, determines
10 that further rehabilitation is not feasible. A rehabilitator shall notify the department
11 prior to euthanizing any wildlife placed in his care pursuant to this Paragraph.
12 (3) If the contraband wildlife is medically nonreleasable or is determined to
13 be nonreleasable due to habituation to life in captivity or rehabilitation would pose
14 a risk to public health or be deemed inappropriate due to an animal's temperament
15 and risk of injury to the animal or humans, the department shall make every
16 reasonable effort to place the wildlife with a zoo, aquarium, sanctuary, educational
17 institution as appropriate, or other facility that is licensed or otherwise authorized to
18 possess the species under state or federal law.
19 (4) Euthanization of contraband wildlife shall only be performed as a last
20 resort. The department may euthanize contraband wildlife only if one or more of the
21 following applies:
22 (a) None of the preferred options provided in this Subsection is viable or
23 available for the wildlife.
24 (b) The wildlife exhibits clinical signs of disease.
25 (c) The wildlife has sustained a life-threatening injury.
26 (d) Release or rehabilitation of the species is prohibited by law or regulation
27 and no licensed facility described in Paragraph (C)(3) of this Section is willing,
28 authorized, or appropriate to accept the wildlife.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 1258
HLS 26RS-5040 ENGROSSED
1 (e) The state wildlife veterinarian, or Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2 departmental veterinarian has determined that euthanasia is in the best interest of the
3 animal.
4 D. Any euthanasia performed pursuant to this Section shall be conducted in
5 accordance with the most current edition of the American Veterinary Medical
6 Association: Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals.
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 1258 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Geymann
Abstract: Provides for the disposition of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife species seized
as a result of unlawful possession, establishes a preference for release, rehabilitation,
and placement with a wildlife rehabilitator or licensed facility, and provides for
euthanasia only when no feasible alternatives exist.
Proposed law provides for wildlife held in violation of present law that is seized by the dept.
and specifies that such wildlife will be referred to as "contraband wildlife".
Proposed law provides for contraband wildlife to be evaluated by dept. field staff or by a
veterinarian to determine its disposition.
Proposed law provides for the disposition order of preference to include release when
possible, rehabilitation when possible with a permitted rehabilitator, placement at an
appropriate facility when possible, and euthanasia when no other possibilities exist.
Proposed law provides for the enumerated conditions which must be met for euthanasia.
Proposed law requires that euthanasia be performed in accordance with the most current
accepted guidelines by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
(Adds R.S. 56:126.1)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.