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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana creates new felony and misdemeanor penalties for misusing LA GATOR Scholarship funds
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Sponsor: Michael Melerine
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What This Bill Proposed
Louisiana House Bill 186 establishes the new criminal offense of theft of funds from the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program, carrying penalties ranging from up to six months in jail for amounts under $1,000 to up to 20 years at for s of $25,000 or more.
The bill creates criminal liability and mandatory full restitution requirements for individuals who intentionally misuse educational scholarship funds, with prison terms and fines scaled directly to the dollar amount misappropriated.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
LA GATOR Scholarship Program account holders and participants
Account holders and participants face new criminal penalties and mandatory restitution obligations if scholarship funds are intentionally misused for unauthorized purposes.
Key Facts
- No person shall intentionally misuse any account funds associated with the LA GATOR Scholarship Program for any purpose not provided in Chapter 43-C of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
- Misappropriation of $25,000 or more is punishable by imprisonment at hard labor for not more than 20 years, a fine of not more than $50,000, or both.
- Misappropriation of $5,000 or more but less than $25,000 is punishable by imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than 10 years, a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
- Misappropriation of $1,000 or more but less than $5,000 is punishable by imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
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- Misappropriation of less than $1,000 is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 6 months, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
- Offenders violating the provisions for an amount under $1,000 who have two or more previous theft convictions face up to 2 years imprisonment with or without hard labor, a fine up to $2,000, or both.
- Convicted individuals must be ordered to make full restitution to the victim and any other person who suffered a financial loss in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 883.2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What actions trigger the new crime created by HB 186?
What are the maximum penalties for stealing scholarship funds?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
- Feb 18, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 18, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Creation of Program-Specific Theft Offense
The bill singles out the LA GATOR Scholarship Program for a dedicated theft statute with tiered penalties mirroring general asset misappropriation thresholds.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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