2025 Louisiana Legislative Update
The 2025 Regular Session has concluded, and several Acts may affect your legal practice. We've organized the most relevant changes by area of law so you can review what's important to you quickly and clearly.
Table of Contents
- Attorney General, Court Administration, and The Judiciary
- Civil Law
- Criminal Law
- Family Law
- Successions & Estate Planning
Attorney General, Court Administration, and the Judiciary
Attorney General
Act 237 – Federal Oversight & Consent Decrees
Summary: Strengthens the attorney general's authority in federal matters. Requires state and local entities to notify the AG and governor within 30 days of federal claims that may trigger long-term oversight. Prohibits entering consent decrees lasting more than 60 days without approval. Applies retroactively.
Effective Date: June 11, 2025
Act 264 – Fugitive Apprehension Unit
Summary: Establishes a Fugitive Apprehension Unit within the AG's office to help locate and arrest fugitives. Includes POST-certified agents and analysts, prioritizes violent felonies, and supports electronic monitoring enforcement.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Court Administration and Procedures
Act 145 – E-Filing Fees in Government Cases
Summary: Defines third-party electronic filing fees as court costs when the state is involved in litigation. Requires timely reimbursement or cost-shifting after final judgment or dismissal.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 299 – Court Cost Increase for Education and Ethics
Summary: Adds a $2.50 fee to civil and criminal filings to fund judicial education and ethics. Applies in all courts. Requires Judicial Council approval before collection begins.
Effective Date: January 1, 2026 (pending Judicial Council approval)
Act 352 – Mandatory Electronic or In-Person Filing
Summary: Requires attorneys to file court documents either in person or electronically. Allows original paper filing for certain documents like wills and promissory notes. Emphasizes privacy and confirms electronic versions as the official record.
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Judiciary
Act 219 – Judicial Retirement Age Amendment
Summary: Constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. Will appear on the April 18, 2026, ballot.
Effective Date: Upon certification of April 18, 2026 election (if approved)
Act 243 – Judicial Redistricting (19th JDC)
Summary: Reduces judicial election sections in the 19th JDC from three to two, with one at-large judgeship. Updates precinct references and repeals outdated 1994 law section.
Effective Date: June 11, 2025
Act 272 – Expanded Commissioner Duties (19th JDC)
Summary: Expands commissioner authority to include pre-indictment motions and protective orders. Applies to both civil and criminal cases involving domestic violence.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Notaries
Act 40 – Notary Licensing Expansion (St. Martin & St. Landry)
Summary: Allows notaries in either St. Martin or St. Landry Parish to exercise notarial authority in both without additional bonding or testing.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 258 – Notary Bond Requirements
Summary: Raises required notary bond from $10,000 to $50,000. Removes recording requirement if issued by licensed surety. Suspension applies for noncompliance.
Effective Date: February 1, 2026
Civil Law
Civil Procedure and Code Revisions
Act 101 – Legislative Continuances
Summary: Reenacts and expands rules allowing legislators and legislative staff to request continuances in court or administrative proceedings during legislative sessions. Establishes a presumption in favor of granting the motion, identifies key exceptions (e.g., custody or criminal cases), and provides expedited appeal rights. Applies retroactively to cases filed or pending on or after October 25, 2024.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 139 – Administrative Hearings & Judicial Review
Summary: Limits state agency standing in appeals of their own rulings and ends judicial deference to agency interpretations. Requires courts to apply de novo review.
Effective Date: June 08, 2025
Act 250 – Broad Revisions to Code of Civil Procedure (See Summary)
Summary:
- Prescription Interruption: Filing in a court of competent jurisdiction interrupts prescription only for defendants served within the prescriptive period.
- Default Judgments: Clarifies the type and timing of notice required before defaults may be entered.
- Partial Judgments (Art. 1915): Reorganizes provisions governing final, interlocutory, and partial judgments and restricts appealability to specified types.
- Summary Judgment Procedure: Reinforces deadlines for dispositive motions and bars courts from modifying granted partial judgments due to untimely filings.
- Standing of Interdicts: Limits procedural standing to full interdicts or those with restricted capacity to sue.
- Mortgage Enforcement: Authorizes foreclosure judgments to include future costs and fees, subject to dispute via rule before funds are distributed.
- Judicial Partition & Transfers: Revises procedures for partition by licitation or private sale and the process for transferring cases from limited to district court.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 488 – Civil Code Terminology Modernization
Summary: Implements Law Institute recommendations to modernize terms, improve gender neutrality, and consolidate definitions. Changes include replacing outdated language (e.g., “third party” becomes “third person”), revising Articles 2315.1 and 2315.2 on survival and wrongful death, and relocating conflict-of-laws provisions.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Liability and Immunity
Act 175 – Firearm Manufacturer and Seller Liability Protections
Summary: Grants civil immunity to firearm and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, and dealers for injuries caused by third-party misuse, unless a design or construction defect is proven. Explicitly bars local governments from bringing such suits and allows defendants to recover costs in dismissed cases. Excludes certain federally prohibited assault weapons.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 234 – Medical Equipment Donation Liability Protection
Summary: Grants civil immunity to nonprofit organizations that donate medical equipment or supplies, provided the items are in proper working order and not subject to a recall at the time of donation. Liability may still apply in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 317 – Public Liability for False Imprisonment
Summary: This Act limits the liability of state and local public entities in cases where a person is imprisoned under a court-issued sentence later found to be invalid. The public body is not liable for damages unless malice or gross negligence is proven.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 345 – Consumable Hemp Liability
Summary: Expands civil liability to those who distribute consumable hemp products that violate Louisiana’s hemp regulations—particularly to individuals under age 21. Immunity is provided for sales of products approved by the Department of Health or under active permit review, unless a minor is harmed.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Personal Injury and Damages
Act 15 – Modified Comparative Fault
Summary: Replaces Louisiana’s pure comparative fault system with a modified one: plaintiffs found to be 51% or more at fault cannot recover damages. Those found less than 51% at fault may recover, with damages reduced in proportion to their fault. Requires jury instructions on the new standard.
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Act 16 – Recovery Limits for Uninsured Drivers
Summary: This Act increases the recovery threshold for uninsured drivers in motor vehicle accidents from $15,000 to $100,000 for both bodily injury and property damage. Uninsured plaintiffs must pay all court costs if awarded damages at or below $100,000 in bodily injury. Insurers retain subrogation rights for amounts above $100,000, even without a filed lawsuit.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 17 – Limits on Damage Recovery by Unauthorized Aliens
Summary: Enacts Civil Code Article 2315.12 to prohibit unauthorized aliens from recovering general damages or past and future wages in lawsuits arising from automobile accidents. This restriction does not apply to claims made under an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy if the unauthorized alien is a named insured.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 18 – No Presumption of Causation
Summary: Overrules the presumption established in Housley v. Cerise that a plaintiff’s lack of prior injury history supports causation. Under this Act, such a presumption cannot be used to prove causation in personal injury claims (excluding workers' compensation). Applies prospectively only.
Effective Date: May 28, 2025
Act 176 – Extended Prescription for Survival and Wrongful Death
Summary: Amends Civil Code Articles 2315.1 and 2315.2 to allow filing the later of: one year from death or two years from the injury. Medical malpractice actions granted by this Act prescribe one year from the death of the deceased.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 383 – Justice for Victims of Abortion Drug Dealers Act
Summary: Allows women to bring civil claims against individuals or businesses that knowingly perform or facilitate abortions in violation of Louisiana law, especially involving abortion drugs. Includes statutory damages, general damages, and exemplary damages in certain cases. Exempts licensed healthcare providers and pharmacies acting lawfully.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 466 – Limits on Recoverable Medical Expenses
Summary: Where a medical bill is paid by insurance or Medicare to a contracted provider, recovery is limited to that amount plus cost-sharing. Plaintiffs may also recover up to 40% of the difference between billed and paid, subject to reasonableness. Similar rules apply to Medicaid, liens, and negotiated write-downs.
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
🔹 Note: Act 250, included in Civil Procedure and Code Revisions, will affect Personal Injury practices. (E.g. Prescription Interruption, Default Judgments, Service of Citation).
Property and Servitudes
Act 27 – Servitudes Update
Summary: Revises Civil Code articles on servitudes and relocates utility servitude rules to a new section of the Revised Statutes. Clarifies that courts may select a route other than the shortest path when it's less injurious, codifies standards for relocating servitudes, and affirms that voluntary enclosures do not bar negotiated servitudes. Creates a clear statutory framework for utility servitudes, including scope, relocation, and compensation rules.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 250, included in Civil Procedure and Code Revisions, will affect Property practices. (E.g. Methods of Enforcing Mortgage).
Back to topCriminal Law
Bail, Probation, and Parole
Act 72 – Probation Revocation
Summary: This Act revises the procedures courts must follow when revoking probation. It confirms that judges may impose all or part of a suspended sentence upon revocation, depending on the nature of the violation. The legislation also clarifies how time served and credits should be calculated and applied.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 128 – Pardon and Parole Hearings
Summary: This Act makes victim testimony during parole or pardon hearings confidential, prohibits unauthorized sharing, and sets procedures for limited court-approved access. Victims and families may request to testify in private executive sessions.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 149 – Bail Discharge for Deportees
Summary: Allows discharge of bail obligations when a defendant is deported.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 158 – Parole & Good Time Reform
Summary: This Act makes significant changes to parole and good time eligibility rules. It limits parole eligibility for certain offenses involving violence, sex crimes, or habitual offender enhancements. It also reduces the good time credit accrual rate for those serving time for serious felonies.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 170 – Parole Board Compensation
Summary: This Act provides a per diem compensation structure for members of the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Controlled Substances and Drug Policy
Act 41 – Kratom Ban
Summary:Criminalizes kratom in Louisiana by adding its active compounds (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine) to Schedule I. Possession, production, or distribution is now illegal, with penalties ranging from a $100 fine to 5 years in prison depending on the amount and offense.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 102 – Fentanyl Test Strips Exception
Summary: This Act removes fentanyl test strips from the definition of prohibited drug paraphernalia when used for personal use.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 121 – Schedule I Additions
Summary: This Act expands Louisiana’s Schedule I list of controlled dangerous substances to include new fentanyl analogues and synthetic cannabinoids.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 154 – Hallucinogen Criminalization
Summary: This Act criminalizes the production, sale, or distribution of hallucinogenic plants and fungi, including psychedelic mushrooms and other natural sources of hallucinogens. It also prohibits advertisements that promote these substances for human consumption. The Act is intended to preempt recreational or commercial markets for hallucinogens not otherwise scheduled.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 233 – Underage Hemp Use
Summary: This Act prohibits the sale of consumable hemp products—including THC gummies, vapes, and oils—to anyone under 21.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 169, included under Crimes Against the Person, involves the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
Correctional Facilities and Inmates
Act 46 – Integrated Criminal Justice Information System
Summary: This Act mandates that courts submit post-sentencing records to the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System within a specified timeframe.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 253 – Prisoner Civil Litigation Reforms
Summary: Revises procedures for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals filing civil suits in forma pauperis. Requires prisoners to submit financial documentation, pay initial filing fees based on available funds, and make monthly payments.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 278 – Religious and Educational Materials in Solitary Confinement
Summary: This Act requires correctional facilities to provide inmates in solitary confinement with access to all educational training and materials or religious materials he would otherwise have access to in the least restrictive housing available at the institution.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 317 – False Imprisonment / Public Liability
Summary: This Act limits the liability of state and local public entities in cases where a person is imprisoned under a court-issued sentence later found to be invalid.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Crimes Against the Person
Act 97 – Grooming / Indecent Behavior with Juveniles
Summary: Expands the crime of indecent behavior with juveniles to include grooming behaviors conducted through electronic communications.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 142 – Sex Offender Restrictions Near Schools
Summary: Prohibits certain sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of early learning centers. Extends current school proximity restrictions to include facilities licensed to care for young children.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 169 – Drug Distribution Homicide
Summary: Establishes a new crime for distribution of fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue that directly results in another person's death. Imposes a sentence of 20 to 40 years at hard labor without parole eligibility.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 230 – Human Trafficking & Prostitution
Summary: Updates definitions and penalties of human trafficking offenses and expands protections for minors involved in commercial sex acts.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 275 – Coerced Abortion & Extortion
Summary: Creates the crime of coerced abortion through extortion. Makes it a felony to threaten or pressure a pregnant person into terminating a pregnancy by withholding financial support, housing, employment, or through other forms of coercion.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 343 – Elder Abuse as Predicate for Homicide
Summary: Expands second degree murder definitions to include deaths resulting from acts of cruelty or abuse against an individual aged 65 or older. Elevates elder abuse resulting in death to homicide.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 346 – Sex Offenses Involving Minors
Summary: Expands the definition of second degree rape to include sex with a victim aged 13–16 when the offender is three or more years older. It extends the time limit to prosecute sex offenses involving victims under 18 and raises the age for related hearsay exceptions.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 128, included under Trial and Post-Conviction Procedure, governs the use of remote testimony in child sex offense cases.
🔹 Note: Act 67, also under Trial and Post-Conviction Procedure, expands hearsay exceptions for child sex offense prosecutions.
Victims' Rights
Act 226 – Victims Fund
Summary: Establishes a fund to support victims of sex trafficking.
This Act creates a dedicated fund in the state treasury to provide services and financial assistance to victims of human trafficking, especially minors. Funds may be used for shelter, medical care, counseling, legal advocacy, and other recovery support. It is funded through fines and forfeitures from trafficking-related convictions.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 370 – Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights
Summary: Establishes a comprehensive Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights and directs the state to create a coordinated victims' services system by July 1, 2026. Guarantees victims and witnesses key rights throughout the criminal process, including timely notifications, access to services, and participation in hearings. Also requires sheriffs to notify victims and media of inmate escapes and recaptures.
Effective Date: June 20, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 230, included under Crimes Against the Person, also expands protections for certain trafficking victims.
Warrants and Arrests
Act 63 – Warrant Notice Procedures
Summary: This Act revises Code of Criminal Procedure Article 349.1 to require that individuals be given a written notice to appear before a warrant for failure to appear may be issued in certain misdemeanor and traffic cases. The Act aims to reduce unnecessary arrests by ensuring individuals are aware of pending court obligations. The notice must include a new court date and be delivered by mail or electronic service, if available.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 399 – Obstruction of Immigration Enforcement
Summary: Criminalizes intentional interference with immigration detainers.
This Act creates the crime of obstruction of immigration enforcement, making it unlawful to knowingly prevent or hinder the lawful detention, transfer, or removal of someone subject to an ICE detainer. The legislation is intended to ensure compliance with federal immigration efforts and clarify the consequences of obstruction by individuals or organizations.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 426 – Use of Force Reporting
Summary: This Act mandates that all law enforcement agencies report incidents in which officers use force resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The reports must include demographic data, type of force used, and whether the subject was armed.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 264, included under Attorney General, establishes a Fugitive Apprehension Unit to assist with the location and arrest of fugitives, with a focus on violent felonies.
Juvenile Justice
Act 364 – Juvenile Record Confidentiality
Summary: Strengthens confidentiality protections for juvenile court records by limiting access to specific entities (E.g., attorneys, guardians, courts) and explicitly excluding these records from background checks.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 435 – River Parishes Juvenile Justice District Expansion
Summary: Expands the governance of the River Parishes Juvenile Justice District by adding Lafourche Parish.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Property and Financial Offenses
Act 28 – Gift Card Theft
Summary: Criminalizes the theft of merchandise using fraudulent gift card transactions.
This Act makes it a specific criminal offense to steal merchandise through the use of fraudulent or altered gift cards. It aims to address a growing trend in retail theft schemes involving gift cards and provides penalties aligned with the value of the merchandise obtained.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 188 - Enhanced Penalties for Certain Financial Crimes
Summary: Increases penalties and requires restitution for repeat offenses of bank fraud and illegal transmission of funds. Allows prosecutors to introduce evidence of prior fraudulent acts or warnings to establish intent in financial crime cases.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 231 – Utility Payment Fraud
Summary: Criminalizes the use of false information to obtain utility services.
This Act creates the crime of utility payment fraud. It targets individuals who knowingly provide false or misleading information to utility companies to initiate or continue service without proper authorization or payment. The offense includes tampering with meters or infrastructure to avoid charges.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 255 – Criminal Property Blighting
Summary: Authorizes criminal enforcement for property blighting in certain jurisdictions.
This Act allows district attorneys and municipalities in certain parishes to initiate criminal proceedings against property owners who fail to remediate blighted property conditions after notice and opportunity to cure. The goal is to supplement civil blight enforcement with limited criminal penalties in persistent cases.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 38, included under Trial and Post-Conviction Procedure, expands permissible disclosure of financial records by banks in response to subpoenas issued in criminal investigations.
Technology, Privacy, and Surveillance
Act 23 – Drone Surveillance near Military Sites
Summary: Prohibits drone flights that surveil or collect data over military installations without authorization.
This Act criminalizes the intentional use of unmanned aircraft systems for surveillance or data gathering—such as photography, video, or electronic capture—over military facilities. The goal is to enhance national security and protect sensitive infrastructure.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 140 – Cell Tracking Devices / Bail Agents
Summary: Restricts bail agents and bounty hunters from using cell-site simulators or GPS trackers without a court order.
This Act prohibits bail agents, bounty hunters, and similar private actors from deploying electronic tracking devices—such as cell-site simulators or GPS trackers—against individuals without obtaining a court order first. The law intends to safeguard privacy rights and rein in unauthorized surveillance.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 170 – Drone Use near Parades / Police Interference
Summary: Bans drone operation that interferes with parades or law enforcement activity.
This Act prohibits the use of drones in ways that hinder or disrupt parades, protests, or active law enforcement operations—especially in crowd-control or emergency-response settings. Violations may carry criminal penalties and result in drone confiscation.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 250 – Use of Artificial Intelligence by Attorneys
Summary: Establishes new duties for attorneys related to AI-generated or altered evidence, including required disclosure and verification. Authorizes sanctions for violations.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Note: These duties and sanctions do not apply to Ayla documents. Ayla does not use artificial intelligence—every template is built by Louisiana attorneys to ensure full control, transparency, and compliance.
Act 416 – Electronic Monitoring Standards
Summary: This Act sets minimum standards for the use of electronic monitoring devices by courts and law enforcement. It addresses accuracy, data privacy, equipment requirements, and oversight.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Traffic and Vehicle Offenses
Act 16 – Recovery Limits for Uninsured Drivers
Summary: This Act increases the recovery threshold for uninsured drivers in motor vehicle accidents from $15,000 to $100,000 for both bodily injury and property damage. Uninsured plaintiffs must pay all court costs if awarded damages at or below $100,000 in bodily injury. Insurers retain subrogation rights for amounts above $100,000, even without a filed lawsuit.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 17 – Limits on Damage Recovery by Unauthorized Aliens
Summary: Enacts Civil Code Article 2315.12 to prohibit unauthorized aliens from recovering general damages or past and future wages in lawsuits arising from automobile accidents. This restriction does not apply to claims made under an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy if the unauthorized alien is a named insured.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 107 – Traffic Camera Reform
Summary: Prohibits the use of automated traffic enforcement cameras on state highways unless specifically authorized by law. Local governments must receive legislative approval before deploying new camera systems. The Act aims to increase transparency and curb the use of traffic cameras as revenue tools without sufficient public oversight.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 124 – Hit and Run Injury Penalty
Summary: Increases penalties for drivers who flee the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury or death. The Act raises both fines and mandatory minimum prison terms, emphasizing accountability and victim justice in hit-and-run incidents.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 194 – Increased Fines for Emergency Medical Fund
Summary: Redirects certain traffic-related fines into a newly established Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Education and Training Fund. The fund supports recruitment, training, and retention of EMTs, addressing workforce shortages in emergency services across the state.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 202 – Construction Zone Penalties
Summary: Enhances penalties for moving violations committed in active construction zones. Drivers who speed or drive recklessly in these areas face doubled fines. The Act is designed to improve safety for both road workers and the public.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 509 – Temporary Tag Enforcement
Summary: Authorizes law enforcement to issue citations for improper or fraudulent use of temporary license tags, including expired or obscured tags. It also sets standards for dealership-issued tags and enhances registration enforcement mechanisms.
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 17, under Immigration and Enforcement, restricts uninsured drivers from recovering noneconomic damages after auto accidents.
Trial and Post-Conviction Procedure
Act 76 – Mandatory Jury Polling
Summary: This Act amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require the polling of juries following a verdict in felony cases, unless the poll is expressly waived by both parties. The polling process verifies each juror's vote and is designed to protect the integrity of verdicts. This reform addresses concerns about verdict accuracy and strengthens procedural safeguards during trial.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 246 – Habitual Offender Lookback
Summary: This Act amends Louisiana’s habitual offender law to reduce sentencing enhancements for individuals with prior nonviolent felony convictions. It restricts the lookback period for prior convictions and permits more lenient sentencing if prior offenses were nonviolent and occurred more than 10 years ago. This reform is intended to reduce excessive sentences for low-risk repeat offenders and encourage judicial proportionality.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 38 – Disclosure of Financial Records by Subpoena
Summary: Expands the circumstances under which banks and their affiliates may disclose financial records, allowing disclosure in response to subpoenas issued during state criminal investigations and by the state inspector general, in addition to existing grand jury proceedings.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 193 – Death Penalty Procedures
Summary: This Act authorizes the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to set execution dates when courts have not done so and permits substitution of execution methods if a primary method is unavailable. It also limits repetitive post-conviction filings and imposes stricter timelines on legal challenges related to execution procedures.
Effective Date: June 8, 2025
Act 426 – Use of Force Reporting
Summary: This Act mandates that all law enforcement agencies report incidents in which officers use force resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The reports must include demographic data, type of force used, and whether the subject was armed. Data will be submitted to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement for statewide review and public reporting.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 346 – Sex Offense Hearsay Exceptions
Summary: This Act allows certain hearsay statements made by children under 17 in sex offense prosecutions to be admissible in court, even if the child does not testify. The statements must have been made to a law enforcement officer, medical professional, or other trusted adult and must meet reliability criteria set by the court.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
🔹 Note: Act 46, included under Correctional Facilities and Inmates, also governs post-sentencing record submission relevant to this section.
🔹 Note: Act 188, included under Property and Financial Offenses, enhances penalties and modifies evidentiary rules related to financial crimes.
🔹 Note: Act 370, included under Victims' Rights, also impacts post-conviction processes, including sentencing notifications, parole hearings, and victim involvement at critical post-trial stages.
Weapons and Firearms
Act 420 – Concealed Carry Permit Exceptions
Summary: Allows certain adults to carry concealed firearms without a permit.
This Act removes the requirement for a concealed handgun permit for individuals aged 18 and older who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. It retains restrictions on firearm possession in specified locations, including schools, courthouses, and polling places. The Act also requires law enforcement officers to receive training on safely interacting with individuals who may be lawfully carrying without a permit.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 52 – Firearm Sentencing Enhancements
Summary: Increases penalties for crimes committed with a firearm.
This Act enhances sentencing for felony offenses when the offender uses or possesses a firearm during the commission of the crime. It expands the range of offenses eligible for enhancement and increases the mandatory additional prison time that must be imposed. The goal is to deter gun violence by imposing harsher penalties for firearm-related criminal conduct.
Effective Date: June 4, 2025
Act 424 – Explosives Near Events
Summary: Criminalizes possession of explosives near public demonstrations and events.
This Act makes it a felony to knowingly possess explosives or explosive materials within one thousand feet of a public demonstration, parade, or public gathering. Exceptions exist for lawful use by permit holders or law enforcement. The Act aims to prevent intimidation and threats to public safety during constitutionally protected activities.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Family Law
HB 617 – DCFS Reorganization
Summary: This Act restructures the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) by creating two new offices: the Office of Child Welfare and the Office of Child Support. The new structure focuses DCFS solely on child welfare, protection, adoption, and support. Programs like SNAP and TANF are transferred to a newly established agency, “Louisiana Works.” It also updates related statutory language to reflect the reorganization.
Effective Date: July 1, 2025 (statutory updates); October 1, 2025 (organizational changes)
Act 116 – Legal Status of IVF Embryos
Summary: Establishes that a viable in vitro fertilized embryo is a juridical person under Louisiana law. Prohibits the destruction of viable embryos and restricts their use to implantation only. Embryos may not be sold or used for research. Only the intended parent(s) may decide on embryo use. Legal protections and liabilities are outlined, including shielded liability for providers acting in good faith. Embryos do not have inheritance rights unless born alive.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 409 – Child Protection & Mandatory Abuse Reporting
Summary: Strengthens mandatory reporting of child abuse by requiring reports to both DCFS and law enforcement. Requires joint investigations for suspected child sexual abuse in school settings and increases accountability for nonpublic early learning programs. Revises registry terminology from "justified/unjustified" to "substantiated/unsubstantiated." Requires background checks and mandatory reporter training. Provides legal remedies for parents when abuse leads to child withdrawal from a school.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Successions and Estate Planning
Act 30 – No-Contest Clauses in Wills
Summary: Clarifies the enforceability of no-contest ("in terrorem") clauses in wills. Specifies that such clauses—which penalize beneficiaries for challenging a will—must be strictly construed. The Act affirms that these clauses are valid unless the contestant had just cause and acted in good faith.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 34 – Ex Parte Probate and Indigent Cost Rules
Summary: Modernizes Louisiana's succession and testament probate procedures to allow for ex parte probate of wills when no valid objection is raised. The Act refines how testaments are challenged, clarifies court responsibilities at probate hearings, and revises cross-references and technical procedures in the Code of Civil Procedure.
- Courts may now probate a testament ex parte unless an objection is timely made.
- Objections must meet specific criteria and be filed in advance or stated orally at the hearing with detailed grounds.
- Clarifies steps in the proces verbal documenting the probate hearing, including court orders and witness testimony.
- Streamlines use of affidavits and depositions for proving testament authenticity.
- Revises cost procedures to allow indigent parties to probate estates without paying court costs upfront, and ensures that public officers are repaid from succession assets if applicable.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
Act 39 – Limits on Penalty Clauses in Wills, Trusts, and Donations
Summary: Enacts Civil Code Article 1519.1 to regulate penalty clauses—often called “no-contest” or “in terrorem” clauses—in wills, trusts, and donations. These clauses penalize beneficiaries who legally challenge a donation or succession. Under the new law, such clauses are unenforceable if the person challenging the act had a reasonable factual basis to believe the challenge would likely succeed.
- A penalty clause cannot be enforced if, at the time of filing the challenge, there was a substantial likelihood of success based on available facts.
- Applies to actions contesting:
- Inter vivos or mortis causa donations (gifts made during life or by will),
- Succession proceedings, or
- Trust administration.
- Provides legislative clarity following inconsistent case law and Supreme Court requests for guidance (e.g., Succession of Maloney).
- Aligns Louisiana with national standards (e.g., Uniform Probate Code §3‑905).
- Encourages good-faith challenges and discourages vexatious litigation.
- Clarifies that actions like requesting an accounting, removing a fiduciary, or interpreting a will should generally not trigger forfeiture under a no-contest clause.
Effective Date: August 1, 2025
