The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana imposes harsher penalties and mandatory secure placement for battery against school teachers
Last action · June 2, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Candace Newell and 18 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Louisiana enacts Act 617, establishing stricter criminal penalties and mandatory minimum prison sentences or for individuals who commit battery against school teachers acting in the course of their employment. The law sets specific fine and imprisonment thresholds depending on whether the offender is a student, an adult, or causes serious bodily injury, and mandates counseling for juvenile offenders.
The law alters criminal sentencing guidelines by requiring portions of prison or terms to be served without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for anyone convicted of battering a school employee.
- House Bill No. 133 was enacted during the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law as Act 617. context
- Dana Henry is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and a co-sponsor of the measure. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
School Teachers
Receive heightened criminal statutory protections when targeted by battery during employment duties.
Students and Juveniles
Subject to mandatory minimum sentences, secure placement, and required counseling programs upon conviction for battery against a teacher.
Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Responsible for custody of adjudicated juveniles in secure placement and preparing transitional release plans.
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 student commits battery against a school teacher?
Are non-students punished more severely for battering a school teacher?
Is counseling required for juvenile offenders convicted of this crime?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
25 actions- Jun 2, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 617.
- Jun 2, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 31, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, roll called, yeas 99, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
Show 19 earlier actions
- May 27, 2026HouseScheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26, 2026SenateRules suspended. Called from the Calendar.
- May 26, 2026SenateFloorThe amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 26, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate with amendments.
- May 13, 2026SenateRules suspended.
- May 13, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
- May 7, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 6, 2026SenateFloorCommittee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 5, 2026SenateRules suspended. Reported with amendments.
- Apr 13, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.
- Apr 8, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 8, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 7, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/08/2026.
- Apr 1, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Mar 31, 2026HouseReported with amendments (11-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- Feb 13, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- Feb 13, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/13/2026.
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
Show 14 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Secure Placement for Juveniles
Act 617 establishes a strict statutory mandate requiring a minimum of six months in secure placement without probation or suspension for juveniles adjudicated for battery of a school teacher.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools