HB436 • 2026

VETERANS: Authorizes the appointment of veterans as wardens at state and municipal parks

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Kellee Dickerson
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 73
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the training requirements or qualifications needed for veterans to be appointed as park wardens.

Veterans as Park Wardens

This act allows veterans who were honorably discharged to be appointed as park wardens at state and municipal parks.

What This Bill Does

Permits municipalities or local governing authorities to appoint veterans who were honorably discharged as police officers in municipal parks.
Authorizes the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to hire veterans who were honorably discharged as state park wardens.

Who It Names or Affects

Veterans who were honorably discharged
Municipalities or local governing authorities
The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism

Terms To Know

veteran: A person who has served in the military and was honorably discharged.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what training requirements or qualifications are needed for veterans to be appointed as park wardens.
The act does not provide details on how many veterans can be appointed or when they must complete their training.

Amendments

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

House Committee Amendment #2073 JUD Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB436 4872 2073 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB436 4872 2073 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
436 by Representative Dickerson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 3, after "veterans" and before "as police" insert "honorably discharged" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
2 4 On page 1, line 4, after "veterans" and before "as state" insert "honorably discharged" 5 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 73.
2026-05-11 S
Signed by the President of the Senate on 5/7/2026.
2026-05-08 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-07 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-07 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-06 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-27 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-22 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-21 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-08 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
2026-04-07 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-07 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-07 H
Called from the calendar.
2026-03-31 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/07/2026.
2026-03-31 H
Notice given.
2026-03-26 H
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
2026-03-25 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/26/2026.
2026-03-24 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-23 H
Reported with amendments (16-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-25 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-25 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

VETERANS: Authorizes the appointment of veterans as wardens at state and municipal parks

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 732026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 436
BY REPRESENTATIVE DICKERSON
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:4558 and R.S. 56:1688(A), relative to state and municipal
3 parks; to provide for the use of veterans honorably discharged as police officers in
4 a municipal park; to provide for the use of veterans honorably discharged as state
5 park wardens; to provide for the definition of veteran; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 33:4558 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
9 §4558. Exercise of police power over municipally-owned places of amusement
10 A. Any municipality or local governing authority may exercise unlimited
11 police power for the preservation of peace and order, comfort, convenience, and
12 good conduct upon all parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and other places of
13 amusement owned and operated by the municipality, within or outside their
14 corporate limits, may pass any ordinance necessary for these purposes, and may
15 impose penalties for violations of the ordinance. The police officers of the
16 municipality or local governing authority, which may include the appointment of
17 veterans honorably discharged as defined in R.S. 15:1199.23, may make arrests for
18 violations of the ordinance within or without the corporate limits of the municipality.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 436 ENROLLED
1 B.(1) If employed by the municipality or local governing authority, a veteran
2 appointed pursuant to this Section shall meet all training requirements and
3 qualifications for employment.
4 (2) This Section does not prevent a municipality or local governing
5 authority from deputizing a veteran honorably discharged for the purpose of making
6 arrests for violations of an ordinance within or outside of the corporate limits of the
7 municipality. The municipality or local governing authority that deputizes a veteran
8 honorably discharged may require that the veteran be certified by the Council on
9 Peace Officer Standards and Training or be qualified by the Council on Peace
10 Officer Standards and Training, or both.
11 Section 2. R.S. 56:1688(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
12 §1688. Park wardens; powers and duties
13 A. The secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism may
14 appoint competent men, which may include the appointment of veterans honorably
15 discharged as defined in R.S. 15:1199.23, to serve as state park wardens. A veteran
16 appointed pursuant to this Section shall meet all training requirements and
17 qualifications for employment.
18 * * *
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.