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LouisianaHB 8232026 Regular SessionHouse

COURTS: Establishes a homeless diversion pilot program in Orleans Parish (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX See Note)

Sponsored By: Alonzo L. Knox (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Judiciary BJudiciary

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Diversion help for Orleans homeless defendants

The law requires the Orleans Parish district attorney to create a diversion pilot for homeless defendants. The district attorney can run it directly or hire a vendor, and decides whether to offer pretrial diversion. Services include health care, education, housing help, employment, job training, disability-benefit counseling, and rehabilitation. Participants get access to substance-use treatment, mental health care, suicide assessment, and related services. The program requires early identification, prompt placement, treatment monitoring, court interaction, and protection of due process rights. Written rules must cover eligibility checks, telling defendants about the program, court-certified licensed treatment, jobs, and housing options. The district attorney may pause an eligible defendant’s case and seek probation when diversion serves the public and defendant. Completing probation requires dismissal without a court finding of guilt; this dismissal is available only once per person. The dismissal does not count as a conviction for legal restrictions or increased penalties for later convictions. Breaking probation terms can lead to revoked probation, a finding of guilt, and sentencing. The guilt finding dates back to the guilty plea or conviction, but the sentence does not. The program must evaluate its results annually and send the evaluation to the Louisiana Supreme Court’s judicial administrator.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Alonzo L. Knox

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Tehmi Jahi Chassion

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 140 • No: 4

Senate vote • 5/28/2026

Read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 3 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 32 • No: 3

House vote • 4/15/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 1. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 94 • No: 1

House vote • 4/9/2026

Reported favorably

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 847.

    6/8/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    6/8/2026House

  3. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    6/1/2026House

  4. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/31/2026Senate

  5. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/29/2026House

  6. Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

    5/28/2026Senate

  7. Called from the Calendar.

    5/28/2026Senate

  8. Read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 3 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/28/2026Senate

  9. Received from the Senate without amendments.

    5/28/2026House

  10. Rules suspended. Reported favorably. Rules suspended. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/27/2026Senate

  11. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    5/27/2026Senate

  12. Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

    5/6/2026Senate

  13. Rules suspended. Reported favorably.

    5/5/2026Senate

  14. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.

    4/21/2026Senate

  15. Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    4/20/2026Senate

  16. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 1. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    4/15/2026House

  17. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.

    4/14/2026House

  18. Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    4/13/2026House

  19. Reported favorably (14-0).

    4/9/2026House

  20. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    3/9/2026House

  21. Prefiled.

    2/27/2026House

  22. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    2/27/2026House

  23. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

    2/27/2026House

Bill Text

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