HB 173: ENVIRONMENT/LITTERING: Provides relative to expanding the jurisdiction of state park wardens to enforce litter laws statewide - Louisiana

HB173 Original → HB173 Act 67 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands the authority of state park wardens to enforce littering laws across the entire state of Louisiana, rather than just within their specific jurisdiction. It also establishes a new administrative hearing process for handling littering citations, allowing the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to resolve violations through a hearing or by adjudication without a full court trial. The revenue generated from these fines will be deposited into the state's Conservation Fund.

Scope change

The scope of enforcement was expanded from local jurisdiction to statewide authority for state park wardens regarding littering laws.

ENFORCEMENT

State park wardens are now authorized to enforce litter laws statewide and issue citations by mail or in person, extending their reach beyond their specific jurisdictional limits.

REQUIREMENT

A new administrative hearing process was created for littering violations, allowing the department to adjudicate cases in the defendant's parish or where the violation occurred, with the option for defendants to waive the hearing by paying the fine.

FISCAL

Civil penalties recovered from littering violations must now be deposited into the litter abatement account within the Conservation Fund.

TIMELINE

The bill includes a specific effective date provision, stating the law takes effect upon the governor's signature or expiration of the signing period.

HB173 Enrolled → HB173 Original · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill simplifies the text of HB 173 by removing the 'Enrolled' version's formatting and adding the 'Original' version's header details. The core policy regarding state park wardens enforcing litter laws statewide remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's authority (state park wardens enforcing litter laws statewide) remains the same; only the document formatting and header information were altered.

TECHNICAL

Replaced the 'ENROLLED' header with 'HLS 25RS-656 ORIGINAL' and updated the page count from 3 to 2.

Added the sponsor's name (Representative Illg) and pre-filing constitutional citation to the header.

Removed the 'Digest' section and the Governor's signature block found in the Enrolled version.

Deleted the effective date clause (Section 2) which stated the bill becomes law upon signature or expiration of the legislative session.

Condensed the legislative text by removing the detailed administrative hearing procedures and appeal processes that were present in the Enrolled version but omitted in the Original text.

HB173 Reengrossed → HB173 Enrolled · 3 edits · Jun 4, 2025

MINOR

The bill was finalized and approved by the Governor, changing the status from 'Reengrossed' to 'Enrolled'. The substantive policy content regarding state park wardens enforcing litter laws statewide and the new civil penalty process remains unchanged from the previous version.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to authorize state park wardens to enforce litter laws statewide and establishes a civil penalty process for littering violations.

TECHNICAL

Removed the House Legislative Services digest, which is an explanatory summary not part of the actual law.

Added the signatures and approval stamps of the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Governor, indicating the bill has become official law.

Updated page numbering from 'Page 1 of 4' to 'Page 1 of 3' to reflect the removal of the digest section.

HB173 Engrossed → HB173 Reengrossed · 5 edits · May 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to add a co-sponsor and update the bill's title to include an effective date provision. The most significant substantive change is the addition of Section 2, which establishes the bill's effective date as the day of the governor's signature or the expiration of the legislative session if not signed. Several technical edits were made to clarify that defendants must pay fines before waiving hearings and to correct the venue for hearings from a 'parish' to a 'district office'.

Scope change

The bill's scope now explicitly includes an effective date provision, and the title was updated to reflect the addition of Representative Thompson as a co-sponsor.

TIMELINE

Added Section 2 to specify that the law becomes effective upon the governor's signature or if the bill becomes law without a signature.

ELIGIBILITY

Added Representative Thompson as a co-sponsor to the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that a defendant must pay the fine before they can waive the adjudicatory hearing.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the hearing venue from the parish where the defendant lives to the district office for that parish.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title to include 'provide an effective date' and changed page counts from 3 to 4.

ENVIRONMENT/LITTERING: Provides relative to expanding the jurisdiction of state park wardens to enforce litter laws statewide

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