WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Provides for charter boat fishing guide licenses
This bill establishes new licensing requirements for freshwater charter boat fishing guides operating in Louisiana. It mandates that guides must hold a valid state license, carry commercial marine insurance, and possess a recreational fishing license while on the water. The legislation allows guides to operate without a current license if they held one within the previous thirty days, provided they have not yet renewed it. Additionally, guides operating on federal waters within the state must also hold a valid United States Coast Guard captain's license.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Mar 31, 2026
Signed Jun 23, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB1189 Original
→
HB1189 Act 937
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill updates the requirements for freshwater charter boat fishing guides in Louisiana by mandating that they hold a United States Coast Guard captain's license when operating on U.S. waters. It also removes a previous provision requiring the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to send written notices to guides about potential additional legal requirements. The change clarifies that the Coast Guard license is a mandatory condition for operating, rather than just a potential future requirement.
Scope change
The bill specifically targets freshwater charter boat fishing guides operating on U.S. waters located in Louisiana, adding a federal licensing requirement to their existing state licensing obligations.
REQUIREMENT
Freshwater charter boat fishing guides operating on U.S. waters in Louisiana must now possess a valid United States Coast Guard captain's license.
The requirement for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to provide written notification to guides about other legal requirements, including the Coast Guard license, has been eliminated.
The text was amended to explicitly state that the Coast Guard captain's license is a mandatory possession for operating, rather than a potential future requirement subject to notification.
Floor votes · Senate May 27, 2026 · House Apr 28, 2026
How they voted
33–3
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 40
May 27, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
78% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
26
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Amendments
1
May 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read by title, passed by a vote of 31 yeas and 4 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 25, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 21, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 54, nays 41. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 21, 2026
Introduced
Read by title, amended, returned to the calendar.
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (15-0).
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Marcus Bryant
DDemocratic
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