KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Louisiana

HB39 • 2026

LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Requires peace officers to be citizens of the United States

LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Requires peace officers to be citizens of the United States

Crime Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Gabe Firment
Last action
2026-05-22
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 283
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and digest do not provide specific details about the exceptions for current non-U.S. citizen peace officers beyond the requirement to become a U.S. citizen by August 1, 2031.

Peace Officers Must Be U.S. Citizens

This law requires peace officers in Louisiana to be citizens of the United States, with exceptions for current non-U.S. citizen employees who can become citizens by August 1, 2031.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines a 'peace officer' as someone employed by the state or local government whose duties include making arrests, performing searches and seizures, executing criminal warrants, preventing or detecting crime, enforcing penal, traffic, or highway laws, caring for inmates, military police work, or security in courts and the legislature.
  • Requires peace officers to be citizens of the United States.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Peace officers employed by state or local government in Louisiana
  • Security personnel in courts and the legislature

Terms To Know

United States citizen
An individual who is a legal resident of the United States, either born there or granted citizenship through naturalization.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not apply to peace officers currently employed and legally admitted for permanent residence in the U.S. if they become citizens by August 1, 2031.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current non-U.S. citizen peace officers after the deadline.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment requires peace officers to be U.S. citizens and provides a deadline for current non-citizen peace officers to become citizens.

  • Adds the requirement that all peace officers must be U.S. citizens.
  • Defines 'United States citizen' as someone who is a citizen by law, birth, or naturalization.
  • Exempts current non-U.S. citizen peace officers if they become citizens by August 1, 2031.
  • The amendment does not specify the consequences for peace officers who do not meet the citizenship requirement by the deadline.
Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB39 4872 3414 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB39 4872 3414 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 39 by Representative Firment 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, after line 17, insert the following: 3 "Section 2.
  • The provisions of this Act do not apply to a peace officer who is 4 currently employed and who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United 5 States as described in 8 U.S.C.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB39 4872 826 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB39 4872 826 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 39 by Representative Firment 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, after line 17, insert the following: 3 "Section 2.
  • The provisions of this Act shall not apply to a peace officer who 4 is currently employed and who is a lawful permanent resident of the United 5 States as defined in 8 USC 1101(a) provided that the peace officer becomes 6 a United States citizen no later than August 1, 2031." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Filed

Plain English: 2026 Regular Session Sequence: 1227 HBS AMENDED BY SENATE TO BE CONCURRED IN HB 39 BY FIRMENT CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS Date: 5/13/2026 Time: 2:26:19 PM ROLL CALL The roll was called with the following result: YEAS Mr.

  • 2026 Regular Session Sequence: 1227 HBS AMENDED BY SENATE TO BE CONCURRED IN HB 39 BY FIRMENT CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS Date: 5/13/2026 Time: 2:26:19 PM ROLL CALL The roll was called with the following result: YEAS Mr.
  • Speaker Adams Amedee Bacala Bagley Bamburg Bayham Beaullieu Berault Billings Boudreaux Bourriaque Boyer Braud Broussard Butler Carrier Carter, R.
  • Carver Chenevert Coates Cox Crews Deshotel Dewitt Dickerson Domangue Egan Farnum Firment Fisher Fontenot Freiberg Gadberry Galle Geymann Glorioso Hebert Henry, C.
  • Hilferty Horton Illg Johnson, M.
Adopted

Plain English: SFAHB39 539 3343 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Seabaugh to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SFAHB39 539 3343 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Seabaugh to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 39 by Representative Firment 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 In Senate Committee Amendment No.
  • 1 proposed by the Senate Committee on Judiciary B 3 and adopted by the Senate on April 29, 2026, on page 1, line 3, change "R.S.
Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB39 539 2848 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB39 539 2848 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 39 by Representative Firment 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, delete "enact R.S.
  • 40:2402(5) and 2404.4," and insert "amend and reenact 3 R.S.
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB39 539 2839 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB39 539 2839 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 39 by Representative Firment 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, delete "enact R.S.
  • 40:2402(5) and 2404.4," and insert "amend and reenact 3 R.S.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-22 H

    Effective date: See Act.

  2. 2026-05-22 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 283.

  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 74, nays 22, 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 29 yeas and 7 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

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

  12. 2026-04-28 S

    Reported with amendments.

  13. 2026-04-20 S

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

  14. 2026-04-15 S

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

  15. 2026-04-15 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 65, nays 24. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-04-15 H

    Called from the calendar.

  17. 2026-04-15 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  18. 2026-04-14 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.

  19. 2026-04-13 H

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

  20. 2026-04-09 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  21. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

  22. 2026-01-23 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 1/23/2026.

  23. 2026-01-22 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

  24. 2026-01-22 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Requires peace officers to be citizens of the United States

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 39
BY REPRESENTATIVES FIRMENT, ADAMS, AMEDEE, BUTLER, EDMONSTON,
GALLE, HEBERT, HORTON, MIKE JOHNSON, MACK, ORGERON, OWEN,
SCHAMERHORN, VENTRELLA, WILDER, AND ZERINGUE AND SENATORS
BASS, CARTER, CLOUD, EDMONDS, FESI, HODGES, MIGUEZ, MORRIS,
PRESSLY, AND SEABAUGH
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:2402(3) and to enact R.S. 40:2402(5), relative to the
3 qualification of peace officers in Louisiana; to provide for definitions; to provide that
4 peace officers shall be United States citizens; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 40:2402(3) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 40:2402(5)
7 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §2402. Definitions
9 As used in this Chapter:
10 * * *
11 (3)(a) (i) "Peace officer" means any employee of the state, a municipality, a
12 sheriff, or other public agency, whose permanent duties actually include the making
13 of arrests, the performing of searches and seizures, or the execution of criminal
14 warrants, and is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or for the
15 enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of this state, but not including any
16 elected or appointed head of a law enforcement department.
17 (b) (ii) "Peace officer" shall also include those sheriff's deputies whose duties
18 include the care, custody, and control of inmates.
19 (c) (iii) "Peace officer" shall also include military police officers within the
20 Military Department, state of Louisiana.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 39 ENROLLED
1 (d) (iv) "Peace officer" shall also include security personnel employed by the
2 Supreme Court of the state of Louisiana.
3 (e) (v) "Peace officer" shall also include security personnel employed by a
4 court of appeal of the state of Louisiana.
5 (f) (vi) "Peace officer" shall also include the director of capitol security and
6 security officers employed by the legislature upon recommendation of the director
7 as provided by R.S. 24:681 et seq.
8 (b) A peace officer as described in Items (i), (ii), (iv), (v), and (vi) of this
9 Paragraph shall be a United States citizen as defined in this Section.
10 * * *
11 (5) "United States citizen" means any individual who is a citizen of the
12 United States either by law, birth, or naturalization.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. The provisions of this Act do not apply to a peace officer who is currently
15 employed and who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States as
16 described in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a), provided that the peace officer becomes a United States
17 citizen no later than August 1, 2031.
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.