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HB480 • 2026

COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Vanessa Caston LaFleur
Last action
2026-03-09
Official status
Pending House Judiciary - Considered 4/28/26
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.

COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

What This Bill Does

  • COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

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.

Amendments

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

Draft

Plain English: HCAHB480 4274 1465 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB480 4274 1465 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 480 by Representative LaFleur 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, change "(g)" to "(h)" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, at the beginning of line 3, change "13:5401(B)(1)(h) and (i)" to 5 "13:5401(B)(1)(i)" 6 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-09 H

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

  2. 2026-02-27 H

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

  3. 2026-02-26 H

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

  4. 2026-02-26 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-1023 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 480
BY REPRESENTATIVE LAFLEUR
COURTS/CRIMINAL: Provides for participation in reentry courts
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(e) through (g) and to repeal R.S.
3 13:5401(B)(1)(h) and (i), relative to reentry courts; to provide for participation in
4 workforce development sentencing programs; to provide for eligibility; to provide
5 relative to certain exceptions; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(e) through (g) are hereby amended and reenacted to
8 read as follows:
9 §5401. District courts; reentry courts; subject matter
10 * * *
11 B. Participation in the workforce development sentencing program as
12 authorized by the provisions of this Section shall be subject to the following
13 provisions:
14 (1) The court may recommend that a defendant participate in the workforce
15 development sentencing program if all of the following criteria are satisfied:
16 * * *
17 (e) The defendant shall not have any prior felony convictions for any
18 offenses defined as a sex offense in R.S. 15:541.
19 (f) The crime before the court shall not be a crime of violence as defined in
20 R.S. 14:2(B), including domestic violence; however, the provisions of this
21 Subparagraph shall not apply to any of the following crimes of violence:
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1023 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 480
1 (i) Aggravated battery (R.S. 14:34).
2 (ii) Second degree battery (R.S. 14:34.1).
3 (iii) Battery of a police officer (R.S. 14:34.2).
4 (iv) Disarming of a peace officer (R.S. 14:34.6).
5 (v) Aggravated assault (R.S. 14:37).
6 (vi) Aggravated assault with a firearm (R.S. 14:37.4).
7 (vii) Simple kidnapping (R.S. 14:45).
8 (viii) False imprisonment; offender armed with dangerous weapon (R.S.
9 14:46.1).
10 (ix) Aggravated arson (R.S. 14:51).
11 (x) Aggravated criminal damage to property (R.S. 14:55).
12 (xi) Home invasion (R.S. 14:62.8).
13 (xii) Second degree robbery (R.S. 14:64.4).
14 (xiii) Simple robbery (R.S. 14:65).
15 (xiv) Purse snatching (R.S. 14:65.1).
16 (xv) Aggravated flight from an officer (R.S. 14:108.1).
17 (e) The crime before the court shall not be a sex offense as defined in R.S.
18 15:541 or any criminal offense that resulted in a death.
19 (g) (f) Other criminal proceedings alleging commission of a crime of
20 violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B), except those listed in, sex offense as defined in
21 R.S. 15:541 or any criminal offense in which a death occurred shall not be pending
22 against the defendant.
23 (h) The crime before the court shall not be a charge of any crime that
24 resulted in the death of a person.
25 (i) (g) The district attorney or appropriate prosecuting authority of the charge
26 for which a defendant may be considered for re-entry reentry court consents to
27 participation by the defendant in all cases wherein the defendant is convicted of an
28 eligible violent crime pursuant to R.S. 14:2.
29 Section 2. R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(h) and (i) are hereby repealed in their entirety.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1023 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 480
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 480 Original 2026 Regular Session LaFleur
Abstract: Removes certain crimes of violence as disqualifying crimes for reentry courts
and participation in workforce development programs.
Present law provides for the subject matter of reentry courts.
Present law provides for workforce development programs available to offenders sentenced
by reentry courts.
Present law provides that for an offender to participate in a workforce development program,
the offender shall not have previous convictions for a sex offense and the crime before the
court shall not be a crime of violence, with exceptions for certain crimes of violence.
Proposed law removes the provision disqualifying offenders with previous convictions for
sex offenses.
Proposed law provides that for an offender to participate in a workforce development
program, the crime before the court shall not be a sex offense or a crime in which a death
occurred.
Present law provides that the offender shall not have other pending criminal proceedings
alleging a crime of violence, with exceptions.
Proposed law provides that the offender shall not have other pending criminal proceedings
alleging a sex crime or a crime in which a death occurred.
(Amends R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(e)-(g); Repeals R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(h) and (i))
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.