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HB155 • 2026

CRIME: Provides relative to unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system

CRIME: Provides relative to unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Dixon McMakin
Last action
2026-05-22
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 289
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact penalties for breaking this law are not specified in the provided official bill summary or digest text.

Unlawful Use of Drones Near Government Buildings

This act makes it illegal to use drones over certain government buildings and areas without written permission.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes it against the law to fly a drone over specific locations in Louisiana without written permission from someone in charge.
  • Lists several places where flying drones is not allowed, including the state capitol grounds, Capitol Annex Building, Capitol Gardens, Pentagon Barracks, Veteran's Memorial Park, A.Z. Young Park, and the governor’s mansion.
  • Includes any state or local jail, prison, or correctional facility in the list of restricted areas for drone use.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who fly drones over government buildings and other listed locations without permission will be breaking this law.

Terms To Know

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)
A drone or similar flying device that does not have a human pilot on board.
Express Written Consent
Permission given in writing, such as through a signed document.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to the specific locations listed and does not cover all areas where drones might be used.
  • It is unclear how strictly this law will be enforced or what penalties there are for breaking it.

Amendments

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

Plain English: SSHB155 4274 5418 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 155 2026 Regular Session McMakin CRIME: Provides relative to unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.

  • SSHB155 4274 5418 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 155 2026 Regular Session McMakin CRIME: Provides relative to unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.
  • Change the reference from "curtilage" to the grounds, land, and area immediately surrounding these locations that are considered part of these properties and closely associated with their use, relative to the prohibited locations of the Claiborne Building and the parking garage bounded near the state capitol.
  • Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate Present law provides for the crime of unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system and provides for penalties.
  • Proposed law retains present law.

Plain English: HCAHB155 4274 2325 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB155 4274 2325 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 155 by Representative McMakin 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, delete lines 10 through 15 in their entirety and insert the following: 3 "(b) The intentional use of an unmanned aircraft system, without the express 4 written consent of the person in charge of the location, over the any of the following 5 locations: 6 (i) The grounds of the state capitol, which shall include all of the following: 7 (aa) The state capitol building, including designated parking areas, the front 8 steps, and patios, that is bounded on the north by Capitol Access Road, on the east 9 by Veteran's Memorial Park and North Fifth Street, on the south by Capitol Gardens, 10 and on the west by North Third Street.
  • 11 (bb) The Capitol Annex Building, including designated parking areas, that 12 is bounded on the north by the steps to the Claiborne Building, on the east by North 13 Third Street, on the south by State Capitol Drive, and on the west by the Mississippi 14 River.

Plain English: HCAHB155 4274 1505 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB155 4274 1505 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 155 by Representative McMakin 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, delete lines 10 through 15 in their entirety and insert the following: 3 "(b) The intentional use of an unmanned aircraft system, without the express 4 written consent of the person in charge of the location, over the any of the following 5 locations: 6 (i) The grounds of the state capitol, which shall include all of the following: 7 (aa) The state capitol building, including designated parking areas, the front 8 steps, and patios, that is bounded on the north by Capitol Access Road, on the east 9 by Veteran's Memorial Park and North Fifth Street, on the south by Capitol Gardens, 10 and on the west by North Third Street.
  • 11 (bb) The Capitol Annex Building, including designated parking areas, that 12 is bounded on the north by the steps to the Claiborne Building, on the east by North 13 Third Street, on the south by State Capitol Drive, and on the west by the Mississippi 14 River.

Plain English: The amendment to HB155, related to the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems, was voted on and passed in the House with a majority vote.

  • The official text does not specify any changes or amendments beyond noting that the Senate amendments were concurred in by the House.
  • Without specific details about what changes the Senate made to HB155, it's unclear exactly how this amendment alters the original bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-22 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-05-22 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 289.

  3. 2026-05-19 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-18 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-18 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-13 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 92, nays 1, Senate amendments concurred in.

  7. 2026-05-12 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/13/2026.

  8. 2026-05-12 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  9. 2026-05-11 S

    Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-05-04 S

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

  11. 2026-04-29 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  12. 2026-04-28 S

    Reported favorably.

  13. 2026-03-31 S

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

  14. 2026-03-30 S

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

  15. 2026-03-30 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-03-26 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.

  17. 2026-03-25 H

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

  18. 2026-03-24 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  20. 2026-02-13 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/13/2026.

  21. 2026-02-13 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  22. 2026-02-13 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CRIME: Provides relative to unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 155
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCMAKIN
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:337(A)(1)(b), relative to the unlawful use of an unmanned
3 aircraft system; to provide relative to locations where the use of an unmanned
4 aircraft system is prohibited; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:337(A)(1)(b) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 §337. Unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system
8 A.(1) Unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system is any of the following:
9 * * *
10 (b) The intentional use of an unmanned aircraft system, without the express
11 written consent of the person in charge of the location, over the any of the following
12 locations:
13 (i) The grounds of the state capitol, which shall include all of the following:
14 (aa) The state capitol building, including designated parking areas, the front
15 steps, and patios, that is bounded on the north by Capitol Access Road, on the east
16 by Veteran's Memorial Park and North Fifth Street, on the south by Capitol Gardens,
17 and on the west by North Third Street.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 155 ENROLLED
1 (bb) The Capitol Annex Building, including designated parking areas, that
2 is bounded on the north by the steps to the Claiborne Building, on the east by North
3 Third Street, on the south by State Capitol Drive, and on the west by the Mississippi
4 River.
5 (cc) The Capitol Gardens, including designated parking areas, that are
6 bounded on the north by the state capitol building, the east by North Fifth Street, the
7 south by Spanish Town Road, and the west by North Third Street.
8 (dd) The Louisiana Pentagon Barracks, including designated parking areas,
9 that are bounded on the north by State Capitol Drive, on the east by North Third
10 Street, on the south by A.Z. Young Park, and on the west by the Mississippi River.
11 (ee) Veteran's Memorial Park, including the grounds of the Old Arsenal
12 Museum, that is bounded on the north by Capitol Lake Drive, on the east by Capitol
13 Access Road, on the south by State Capitol Drive, and on the west by the grounds
14 of the state capitol building.
15 (ff) The waters and banks or shorelines of Capitol Lake.
16 (gg) A.Z. Young Park that is bounded on the north by the Louisiana
17 Pentagon Barracks, the east by North Third Street, on the south by Lafayette Street,
18 and on the west by the Mississippi River.
19 (hh) The Claiborne Building and associated grounds, land, and area
20 immediately surrounding it that are considered part of the property and closely
21 associated with its use, including designated parking areas, that are bounded on the
22 north by the intersection of River Road and North Third Street southbound, the east
23 by North Third Street, on the south by the Capitol Annex Building, and on the west
24 by River Road.
25 (ii) The parking garage and associated grounds, land, and area immediately
26 surrounding it that are considered part of the property and closely associated with its
27 use that are bounded on the north by State Capitol Drive, on the east by North Sixth
28 Street, on the south by Lakeland Drive, and on the west by North Fifth Street.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 155 ENROLLED
1 (ii) The grounds of the governor's mansion,.
2 (iii) The grounds of any state or local jail, prison, or other correctional
3 facility that incarcerates or detains juveniles or adults accused of, convicted of,
4 sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for violations of criminal law without the
5 express written consent of the person in charge of that state building, state or local
6 jail, prison, or other correctional facility.
7 * * *
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.