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HB364 • 2026

POLICE/LOCAL: Requires police departments to provide notice of illegal discharge of a firearm (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

POLICE/LOCAL: Requires police departments to provide notice of illegal discharge of a firearm (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Firearms
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Tammy Phelps
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 640
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact details on how funds are to be allocated or managed, nor does it provide information about consequences for individuals who violate firearm discharge laws.

Police Departments Must Warn About Illegal Gun Use

This act requires police departments to inform the public about illegal firearm discharges and spread awareness messages.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires police departments to give notice when a firearm is illegally discharged in public areas.
  • Allows the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to make public service announcements about the dangers and penalties of firing guns into the air where it's not allowed.
  • Collaborates with the Louisiana Department of Health to spread awareness messages.
  • Requires police departments to share information for wider distribution.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Police departments in Louisiana
  • The public in areas where discharging firearms is illegal

Terms To Know

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
Messages or advertisements made by the government to inform people about important issues.
Dissemination
The act of spreading information widely.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if police departments do not follow these rules.
  • Does not provide details on how the funds will be allocated or managed.
  • Does not mention consequences for individuals who violate firearm discharge laws.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes how police departments notify the public about illegal firearm discharges by allowing electronic dissemination instead of physical materials.

  • Removes the requirement for police departments to provide physical materials and allows them to use electronic methods to disseminate information about illegal firearm discharges.
  • The amendment text does not specify how exactly the electronic dissemination will be carried out, leaving some details unclear.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB364 is about agreeing with changes made by the Senate regarding police departments providing notice of illegal firearm discharge.

  • Agrees with Senate amendments related to how police departments handle notices for illegal firearm discharges.
  • The official text does not provide specific details on what the Senate amendments entail, so the exact changes are unclear.
Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB364 539 3205 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB364 539 3205 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 364 by Representative Phelps 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 5, after "awareness" change "activities" to "information" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, line 15, after "social media," delete the remainder of the line 5 AMENDMENT NO.
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB364 539 3074 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB364 539 3074 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 364 by Representative Phelps 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 5, after "awareness" change "activities" to "information" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, line 15, after "social media," delete the remainder of the line 5 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. 640.

  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

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 99, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

  7. 2026-05-25 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/26/2026.

  8. 2026-05-19 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  9. 2026-05-18 S

    Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-05-07 S

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

  11. 2026-05-06 S

    Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  12. 2026-05-05 S

    Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.

  13. 2026-04-27 S

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

  14. 2026-04-22 S

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

  15. 2026-04-22 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 80, nays 12. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-04-21 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/22/2026.

  17. 2026-04-16 H

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

  18. 2026-04-15 H

    Reported favorably (11-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

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

  20. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  21. 2026-02-24 H

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

  22. 2026-02-24 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

POLICE/LOCAL: Requires police departments to provide notice of illegal discharge of a firearm (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 6402026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 364
BY REPRESENTATIVE PHELPS
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 40:1381.1, relative to public service announcements; to provide notice to the
3 public regarding the discharge of weapons in public; to provide for public messaging
4 by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections; to provide for dissemination of
5 public awareness information; to provide for collaboration with the Louisiana
6 Department of Health and municipal police departments; to provide for rulemaking;
7 and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 40:1381.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1381.1. Public awareness; discharge of firearm
11 A. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of state police,
12 shall conduct public awareness activities designed to promote the prevention of
13 discharging firearms into the air in public areas where discharging a firearm is
14 prohibited. The public awareness activities shall include but not be limited to public
15 service announcements via radio, television, and social media, promotion of relevant
16 telephone hotlines, and provision of information, regarding the danger of, and
17 criminal penalties for, discharging a firearm into the air in public areas where
18 prohibited.
19 B. The office of state police may collaborate with the Louisiana Department
20 of Health in order to implement the provisions of this Section in accordance with the
21 Administrative Procedure Act.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 364 ENROLLED
1 C. The office of state police shall disseminate the public awareness
2 information to the public and to municipal police departments for further
3 dissemination to the public during the time periods specified in Subsection E of this
4 Section.
5 D. The production and dissemination of public awareness activities pursuant
6 to this Section shall be accomplished using funds allocated for such purpose to either
7 the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the Louisiana Department of
8 Health, or municipal police departments.
9 E. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of state police,
10 and municipal police departments shall disseminate the public awareness information
11 each year from May fifteenth through July fifth and from November fifteenth
12 through January first.
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.