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HB 251LOUISIANASession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Louisiana requires a hearing and victim statement before vacating convictions or reducing sentences

Original title: CRIMINAL/PROCEDURE: Provides with respect to criminal resentencing

Last action · May 29, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Mandie Landry and 11 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Does

Louisiana enacts a requirement that trial courts hold a allowing crime victims to make a statement before granting any motion to vacate a final conviction or reduce an imprisoned person's sentence, effective August 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Crime victims or their designated family members gain the legally guaranteed right to receive written notice and speak at resentencing or conviction-vacation hearings, while courts that fail to comply face voidable rulings.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Crime victims

Victims gain the right to receive written notice of pending motions to vacate convictions or reduce sentences and the right to make a statement at a hearing.

Directly affected

Imprisoned persons seeking resentencing

Inmates awaiting decisions on motions to vacate convictions or reduce sentences are subject to mandatory hearings and victim statements before courts can grant relief.

Directly affected

Clerks of court

Clerks must provide written notice of pending motions and their impact to victims pursuant to R.S. 46:1844(B).

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a trial court grants a resentencing motion without notifying the victim?

Any motion granted without compliance with the hearing and notice requirements is voidable as a , and pending appeals may be remanded for consideration of the victim's statement.

Who can make a statement if the victim is deceased or disabled?

Every reference to the victim applies instead to the victim's designated family member as defined in R.S. 46:1842(5).

Does this act give victims the right to officially intervene in criminal court cases?

No, the statute explicitly states that it does not create or permit individual standing to intervene in a criminal proceeding at any time.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

28 actions

May 29, 2026HouseEnrolled
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 538.
May 29, 2026House
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
May 28, 2026House
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
May 27, 2026HouseEnrolled
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
May 27, 2026SenateEnrolled
Signed by the President of the Senate.
May 26, 2026SenateFloor
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Show 22 earlier actions

May 26, 2026House
Received from the Senate without amendments.
May 21, 2026SenateFloor
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
May 20, 2026SenateIntroduced
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
May 19, 2026SenateCommittee
Reported favorably.
May 18, 2026SenateCommittee
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.
May 14, 2026Senate
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
May 13, 2026House
Called from the calendar.
May 13, 2026HouseFloor
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
May 12, 2026House
Called from the calendar.
May 12, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
May 12, 2026House
Notice given.
May 12, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/13/2026.
May 11, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
May 11, 2026House
Notice given.
May 11, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/12/2026.
May 7, 2026HouseFloor
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
May 7, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/11/2026.
May 6, 2026House
Reported with amendments (9-0).
Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Feb 20, 2026House
Prefiled.
Feb 20, 2026HouseCommittee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Feb 20, 2026House
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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