HB757 • 2026

FISHING/COMMERCIAL: Provides relative to the taking of menhaden

Energy

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Vincent Cox III
Last action: 2026-05-22
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 316
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide additional details beyond the specific prohibitions and penalties for commercial menhaden fishing, leaving some aspects of enforcement and consequences undefined.

Commercial Fishing Rules for Menhaden

This act makes it illegal to catch menhaden fish commercially within certain areas designated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Louisiana, with fines increasing for repeat violations.

What This Bill Does

Makes it against the law for anyone to direct, control, or own a boat that catches menhaden fish for selling in specific areas set by wildlife officials.
Says that if someone breaks this rule, they will be fined based on how many times they have broken it before: $2,500 for the first time, $5,000 for the second time, and $7,500 for the third time.

Who It Names or Affects

People who own or control boats that catch menhaden fish for selling in Louisiana.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which decides where catching menhaden is not allowed.

Terms To Know

Menhaden: A type of small fish often used as food for other animals or to make oil.
Strict liability: When someone is responsible and punished even if they did not mean to break the law.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify what happens after a person receives three fines.
It only addresses catching menhaden for commercial purposes, not personal use or other non-commercial activities.

Amendments

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

House Committee Amendment #3353 NATR Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB757 4563 3353 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB757 4563 3353 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.
757 by Representative Cox 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 16, after "fined" delete the remainder of the line and insert "two thousand 3 five hundred dollars." 4 AMENDMENT NO.
2 5 On page 1, line 17, after "fined" delete the remainder of the line and delete lines 18 through 6 20 in their entirety and insert "five thousand dollars." 7 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

2026-05-22 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-22 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 316.
2026-05-19 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-18 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-18 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-13 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-13 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-05 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-04 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-29 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-15 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
2026-04-14 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-14 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-13 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/14/2026.
2026-04-09 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-08 H
Reported with amendments (14-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-27 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
2026-02-27 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

FISHING/COMMERCIAL: Provides relative to the taking of menhaden

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 757
BY REPRESENTATIVE COX
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 56:320(J), relative to methods of taking freshwater or saltwater fish; to
3 prohibit the taking of menhaden; to provide for strict liability; to provide for
4 penalties; to provide for a definition; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 56:320(J) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §320. Methods of taking freshwater or saltwater fish
8 * * *
9 J.(1) No person shall knowingly and intentionally authorize, direct, or have
10 control or ownership of an agent or vessel involved in the taking of menhaden for
11 commercial purposes within the area designated by the Department of Wildlife and
12 Fisheries pursuant to LAC 76:VII.307 of the Louisiana Administrative Code.
13 (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subpart A of Part II of Chapter 1 of
14 this Title, whoever violates the provisions of this Subsection shall be held strictly
15 liable for the taking and punished as follows:
16 (a) For a first violation, the violator shall be fined two thousand five hundred
17 dollars.
18 (b) For a second violation, the violator shall be fined five thousand dollars.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 757 ENROLLED
1 (c) For a third violation, the violator shall be fined seven thousand five
2 hundred dollars.
3 (3) For purposes of this Subsection, "person" means a natural person.
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.