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HB438 • 2026

CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Lauren Ventrella
Last action
2026-03-09
Official status
Pending House Administration of Criminal Justice
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

What This Bill Does

  • CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-09 H

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

  2. 2026-02-27 H

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

  3. 2026-02-25 H

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

  4. 2026-02-25 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-1255 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 438
BY REPRESENTATIVE VENTRELLA
CRIME: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S.14:97.3, relative to offenses affecting the public safety; to create the crime of
3 unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle; to provide for penalties; to
4 provide for a definition; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:97.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §97.3. Unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle
8 A. No person who fails to meet the qualification requirements contained in
9 49 CFR Part 391 shall operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state.
10 B.(1) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more
11 than five hundred dollars.
12 (2) Upon a second or subsequent conviction, the offender shall be fined not
13 more than one thousand dollars.
14 C. For the purposes of this Section, "commercial motor vehicle" has the
15 same meaning as provided in R.S. 32:401.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1255 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 438
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 438 Original 2026 Regular Session Ventrella
Abstract: Creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle.
Proposed law creates the crime of unlawful operation of a commercial motor vehicle and
provides for penalties consisting of a $500 fine for a first offense and a $1,000 fine for
second or subsequent offenses.
Proposed law defines the term "commercial motor vehicle".
(Adds R.S. 14:97.3)
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.