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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 721 allows early morning commercial shrimping in specified bays starting at 5:30 a.m.
Last action · May 22, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Timothy P. Kerner and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Licensed commercial shrimp harvesters are permitted to begin at 5:30 a.m. during any open shrimp season in Vermilion Bay, East Cote Blanche Bay, and West Cote Blanche Bay under Act 314 of the 2026 Regular Session, effective August 1, 2026.
Changes operating schedules for commercial fishermen in specific state waters by allowing earlier morning access during open seasons.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
licensed commercial shrimp harvesters
Licensed commercial shrimp harvesters are permitted to begin trawling at 5:30 a.m. in Vermilion Bay, East Cote Blanche Bay, and West Cote Blanche Bay during open seasons.
Key Facts
- Act 314 amends R.S. 56:499.4 to create an exception to the general prohibition on night shrimping in certain inside waters.
- Licensed commercial shrimp harvesters are permitted to begin trawling at 5:30 a.m. in Vermilion Bay, East Cote Blanche Bay, and West Cote Blanche Bay during any open shrimp season.
- The law takes effect on August 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can commercial shrimp harvesters begin trawling in the specified bays under this law?
Which water bodies are included in the new 5:30 a.m. trawling exception?
What else do you want to know?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
20 actions- May 22, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 314.
- May 22, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- May 19, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 18, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 18, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- May 13, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
Show 14 earlier actions
- May 13, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate without amendments.
- May 5, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 4, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- Apr 29, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- Apr 1, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
- Mar 31, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 103, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Mar 31, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Mar 30, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Mar 25, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (15-0-1).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
- Feb 27, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
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
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Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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