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HB397 • 2026

CRIME: Provides relative to public safety at Mardi Gras and other parades (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

CRIME: Provides relative to public safety at Mardi Gras and other parades (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Sylvia Taylor
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Withdrawn from the files of the House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Law to Prevent Unsafe Throwing at Parades

This bill makes it illegal for people to throw objects from parade floats that could hurt others and sets fines or jail time based on the harm caused.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new law saying throwing things from parade floats in ways that might hurt someone is against the rules.
  • Says if someone throws something but does not cause any injury, they can be fined up to $500.
  • If an injury happens because of the throw, the fine goes up to $1,000 and jail time could be six months or less.
  • For serious injuries, fines start at $2,000 and jail time is one to three years.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who attend parades
  • Parade float riders

Terms To Know

Serious bodily injury
An injury that causes major harm to someone's body.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which parades are covered by the law.
  • It is unclear if the law will be enforced at all parades or just specific ones like Mardi Gras.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 H

    Withdrawn from the files of the House.

  2. 2026-03-16 H

    Discharged from the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  3. 2026-03-09 H

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

  4. 2026-02-27 H

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

  5. 2026-02-25 H

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

  6. 2026-02-25 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CRIME: Provides relative to public safety at Mardi Gras and other parades (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-991 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 397
BY REPRESENTATIVE TAYLOR
CRIME: Provides relative to public safety at Mardi Gras and other parades
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 14:39.3, relative to reckless throwing from a parade float; to create the crime
3 of reckless throwing from a parade float; to provide for penalties; to provide for
4 exceptions; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:39.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §39.3. Reckless throwing from parade float
8 A. It is unlawful for any person to knowingly or negligently throw an object
9 from a parade float in a manner that is foreseeable to cause injury to another person.
10 B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of reckless throwing from a parade float
11 shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.
12 (2) When the reckless throwing from a parade float causes another person
13 injury, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned
14 not more than six months, or both.
15 (3) When the reckless throwing from a parade float causes another person
16 serious bodily injury as defined in R.S. 14:2, the offender shall be fined not less than
17 two thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one
18 year nor more than three years, or both.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-991 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 397
1 C. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a specific item or
2 the handing, dropping, or responsible tossing of any item that is not otherwise
3 prohibited by law.
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 397 Original 2026 Regular Session Taylor
Abstract: Creates the crime of reckless throwing from a parade float.
Proposed law prohibits a person from knowingly or negligently throwing an object from a
parade float in a manner that is foreseeable to cause injury to another person.
Proposed law provides a fine of $500 for any violation.
Proposed law provides a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months imprisonment for a
violation that causes an injury as defined in present law (R.S. 14:2).
Proposed law provides a fine of at least $2,000 and one to three years imprisonment for a
violation that causes serious bodily injury as defined in present law (R.S. 14:2).
(Adds R.S. 14:39.3)
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.