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HB491 • 2026

PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Alonzo Knox
Last action
2026-03-09
Official status
Pending House Administration of Criminal Justice - Considered 4/14/26
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.

PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

What This Bill Does

  • PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

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. 2026-02-26 H

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

  4. 2026-02-26 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility (OR SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-1348 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 491
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
PAROLE: Provides for parole eligibility
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 15:574.4(L), relative to parole eligibility of juvenile offenders; to provide
3 conditions for parole eligibility for persons serving life sentences; and to provide for
4 related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 15:574.4(L) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §574.4. Parole; eligibility; juvenile offenders
8 * * *
9 L. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any person serving
10 a life sentence of imprisonment shall be eligible for parole consideration pursuant
11 to the provisions of this Section if all of the following conditions have been met:
12 (1) The person is a first-time offender who has not been convicted of a crime
13 of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2 or a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541.
14 (2) The offender has served at least twenty-five years of the sentence
15 imposed.
16 (3) The offender has not committed any major disciplinary offenses in the
17 thirty-six consecutive months prior to the parole hearing date. A "major disciplinary
18 offense" is an offense identified as a Schedule B offense by the Department of Public
19 Safety and Corrections in the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for Adult Offenders.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1348 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 491
1 (4) The offender has completed the mandatory minimum of one hundred
2 hours of prerelease programming in accordance with R.S. 15:827.1.
3 (5) The offender has completed substance abuse treatment as applicable.
4 (6) The offender has obtained or completed at least one of the following:
5 (a) A literacy program.
6 (b) An adult basic education program.
7 (c) A job skills training program.
8 (d) A high school equivalency certificate.
9 (7) The offender has obtained a low-risk level designation determined by a
10 validated risk assessment instrument approved by the secretary of the Department
11 of Public Safety and Corrections.
12 (8) The offender has completed a reentry program to be determined by the
13 Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
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 491 Original 2026 Regular Session Knox
Abstract: Provides parole eligibility for individuals with life sentences who meet certain
requirements.
Present law provides for parole eligibility.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that any person serving a life sentence is eligible for parole
consideration if all of the following conditions have been met:
(1) The person is a first-time offender who has not been convicted of a crime of violence
or a sex offense.
(2) The offender has served at least 25 years of the life sentence.
(3) The offender has not committed any major disciplinary offenses in the 36
consecutive months prior to the parole hearing date.
(4) The offender has completed the mandatory minimum of 100 hours of prerelease
programming.
(5) The offender has completed substance abuse treatment if applicable.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1348 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 491
(6) The offender has obtained or completed at least one educational or job skills training
program.
(7) The offender has obtained a low-risk level designation determined by a validated risk
assessment instrument approved by the secretary of the Dept. of Public Safety and
Corrections (DPS&C).
(8) The offender has completed a reentry program to be determined by the DPS&C.
(Adds R.S. 15:574.4(L))
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.