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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana establishes a homeless diversion pilot program in Orleans Parish
Last action · June 8, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Alonzo Knox and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Louisiana enacts House Bill 823 to create a homeless diversion pilot program in Orleans Parish, administered by the district attorney, offering eligible homeless defendants pretrial diversion, housing and employment assistance, and treatment services that can lead to the dismissal of criminal charges upon successful completion.
Eligible criminal defendants facing homelessness in Orleans Parish gain access to structured treatment, housing assistance, and job training instead of traditional prosecution, with the possibility of having their charges dismissed upon program completion.
- House Bill 823 was enacted during the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law as Act 847. context
- The Louisiana Supreme Court oversees judicial administration across state courts, including receiving reports and evaluations from specialized pilot programs. 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.
homeless defendants
Homeless defendants in Orleans Parish may be offered placement in the diversion program, providing access to housing, treatment, and potential dismissal of charges.
Orleans Parish district attorney's office
The district attorney's office is required to create, administer, adopt written policies for, and oversee the homeless diversion pilot program.
Louisiana Supreme Court
The judicial administrator of the Louisiana Supreme Court receives annual evaluations measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program.
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
Who administers the homeless diversion pilot program?
What happens to a participant's criminal charges upon completing the program?
Who receives the annual evaluation of the pilot program?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
23 actions- Jun 8, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 847.
- Jun 8, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 31, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- May 29, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 28, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
Show 17 earlier actions
- May 28, 2026SenateCalled from the Calendar.
- May 28, 2026SenateFloorRead by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 3 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 28, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate without amendments.
- May 27, 2026SenateCommitteeRules suspended. Reported favorably. Rules suspended. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 27, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 6, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
- May 5, 2026SenateCommitteeRules suspended. Reported favorably.
- Apr 21, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
- Apr 20, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 15, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 1. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 14, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.
- Apr 13, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 9, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (14-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
- Feb 27, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
- 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.
Integration of Social Services into Prosecution
The legislation formally links criminal justice proceedings in Orleans Parish with healthcare, housing assistance, and employment counseling through a structured pilot framework.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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