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HB160 • 2026

DOMESTIC ABUSE: Increases the penalties for certain domestic violence offenses that involve strangulation (EN SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

DOMESTIC ABUSE: Increases the penalties for certain domestic violence offenses that involve strangulation (EN SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Alonzo Knox
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 623
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how courts determine if strangulation occurred, nor does it specify additional support or resources for victims.

Stricter Penalties for Domestic Violence with Strangulation

This act increases the penalties for domestic violence offenses involving strangulation, requiring a minimum sentence of one year without probation or suspension.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the maximum prison time from three years to ten years for battery of a dating partner that involves strangulation.
  • Requires at least one year of imprisonment without probation or suspension of sentence if strangulation is involved in a domestic abuse battery offense.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit domestic violence involving strangulation will face harsher punishments.
  • Law enforcement and courts will enforce the new sentencing requirements.

Terms To Know

Strangulation
The act of blocking someone's airway or blood flow to their brain, often through choking or squeezing the neck.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify how courts will determine if strangulation occurred.
  • It is unclear what additional support or resources will be provided to victims of domestic violence involving strangulation.

Amendments

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

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB160 4274 1943 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB160 4274 1943 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 160 by Representative Knox 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 3, change "maximum penalty" to "minimum and maximum penalties" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, at the end of line 13, insert "At least one year of the sentence imposed shall be 5 served without the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence." 6 AMENDMENT NO.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB160 4274 1803 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB160 4274 1803 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 160 by Representative Knox 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 3, change "maximum penalty" to "minimum and maximum penalties" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, at the end of line 13, insert "At least one year of the sentence imposed shall be 5 served without the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence." 6 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-02 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-06-02 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 623.

  3. 2026-05-28 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-27 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-27 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-26 S

    Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  8. 2026-05-21 S

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

  9. 2026-05-20 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-05-19 S

    Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-04-14 S

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

  12. 2026-04-13 S

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

  13. 2026-04-13 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-04-13 H

    Called from the calendar.

  15. 2026-04-13 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  16. 2026-04-09 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/13/2026.

  17. 2026-04-08 H

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

  18. 2026-04-07 H

    Reported favorably (17-0).

  19. 2026-03-23 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

  20. 2026-03-18 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  21. 2026-03-09 H

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

  22. 2026-02-13 H

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

  23. 2026-02-13 H

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

  24. 2026-02-13 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

DOMESTIC ABUSE: Increases the penalties for certain domestic violence offenses that involve strangulation (EN SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 6232026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 160
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:34.9(L)(1) and 35.3(L)(1), relative to certain domestic
3 violence offenses; to provide relative to the minimum and maximum penalties when
4 the offense involves strangulation; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:34.9(L)(1) and 35.3(L)(1) are hereby amended and reenacted to
7 read as follows:
8 §34.9. Battery of a dating partner
9 * * *
10 L.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the offense
11 involves strangulation, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed
12 pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than three ten
13 years. At least one year of the sentence imposed shall be served without the benefit
14 of probation or suspension of sentence.
15 * * *
16 §35.3. Domestic abuse battery
17 * * *
18 L.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the domestic
19 abuse battery involves strangulation, the offender, in addition to any other penalties
20 imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 160 ENROLLED
1 three ten years. At least one year of the sentence imposed shall be served without
2 the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence.
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.