The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana requires peace officers to issue civil citations and diversion programs for first-time juvenile misdemeanor stops starting January 1, 2027
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Sponsor: Shaun Mena
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
JUVENILES: Provides a diversion program for juveniles stopped or detained for misdemeanor offenses
Qualifying minors avoid formal arrest records, court costs, and criminal database entries by completing mental health, substance abuse, or educational diversion services within 90 days. Law enforcement agencies must compile annual demographic and data for legislative reporting starting December 31, 2027.
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.
juvenile
Minors who commit first-time nonviolent misdemeanors receive civil citations, access to diversion services, and protection from arrest records and court fees.
peace officer
Law enforcement officers must issue civil citations and offer diversion program access instead of making formal arrests under specified conditions.
law enforcement agencies
Agencies must track stops, citations, arrests, demographics, and recidivism to submit annual reports to the legislature.
Key Facts
- Peace officers must issue a civil citation and diversion program opportunity when stopping or detaining a juvenile for a first-time, nonviolent misdemeanor-grade delinquent act.
- Exceptions apply if the juvenile poses an immediate danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury, or is in possession of, uses, or threatens to use a deadly weapon.
- Civil citations must be resolved within 90 days and do not constitute an arrest, summons, adjudication, conviction, or criminal database entry.
- No fines, fees, or court costs may be assessed against a juvenile referred to a pre-arrest diversion program.
Show all 9 facts
- Pre-arrest diversion programs provide access to mental health or substance abuse services, victim engagement, restitution agreements, and educational or family support.
- All law enforcement agencies must submit annual stop, detention, citation, arrest, demographic, location, completion, and recidivism data to the legislature.
- The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice and the Louisiana Department of Health must adopt implementing rules by December 31, 2026.
- Annual reports to the legislature begin no later than December 31, 2027.
- The Act becomes effective on January 1, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when a juvenile is stopped for a first-time misdemeanor?
Does a civil citation go on a juvenile's criminal record?
Are juveniles required to pay any fees for the diversion program?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
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 27, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
- 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Diversion for Minor Juvenile Offenses
The bill shifts enforcement from traditional criminal processing to mandatory civil citations and health or educational diversion for eligible juveniles.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools