WILDLIFE & FISHERIES: Provides with respect to seizure of sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife
This bill establishes a new process for handling sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife seized by Louisiana authorities for unlawful possession. It mandates that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries prioritize releasing healthy animals into the wild or placing injured ones with licensed rehabilitators, zoos, or sanctuaries whenever possible. Euthanasia is strictly limited to situations where no other viable options exist, such as when an animal is suffering from a life-threatening disease or injury, or when release is legally prohibited and no suitable facility is available. The law also requires that any necessary euthanasia follow current American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines to ensure humane treatment.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced May 7, 2026
Signed Jun 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB1258 Original
→
HB1258 Act 730
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was enacted into law as Act 730, formally adopting the new provisions for handling seized wildlife. The most significant change is the reordering of the priority for disposition: healthy wildlife is now released first, followed by rehabilitation, placement in facilities, and finally euthanasia as a last resort. The criteria for euthanasia were expanded to include specific conditions like life-threatening injuries or disease, ensuring animals are only put down when no other viable options exist.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on the disposition of seized 'contraband wildlife' (wildlife held in violation of the law), but the specific actions the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries must take have been clarified and prioritized.
REQUIREMENT
The order of preference for handling seized wildlife was reordered to prioritize releasing healthy animals into the wild before considering rehabilitation or euthanasia.
The criteria for euthanizing wildlife were expanded to explicitly include animals with life-threatening injuries or clinical signs of disease, ensuring these cases are addressed before other options are exhausted.
DEFINITION
The term 'contraband wildlife' was formally defined to refer to wildlife seized as a result of unlawful possession.
TECHNICAL
The legislative digest and abstract explaining the bill's purpose were removed, as the text is now part of the official enrolled act.
Floor votes · Senate May 27, 2026 · House May 12, 2026
How they voted
38–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
May 27, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
18
Key actions
4
Committee
3
May 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 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
May 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 662 reported by the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment (12-0).
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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