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HB 296 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

CORRECTIONS: Repeals the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF RV)

HB 296 repeals Louisiana’s Reentry Advisory Council and the Offender Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act (specifically R.S. 15:1199.1-1199.16 and R.S. 13:5401(B)(1)(a)). This bill removes legal requirements for the advisory council, data collection on inmate workforce programs, and references to the Reentry Advisory Council in statutes governing work release programs (e.g., R.S. 15:827, 1113) and the Louisiana Work Opportunity Tax Credit (R.S. 47:287.750). It directly affects correctional workforce development programs, state agencies managing inmate work programs, and businesses participating in work release initiatives. The repeal eliminates the council’s role and related administrative criteria, though work release programs themselves remain referenced under other statutes.
Issues: ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRepeals Louisiana Work Opportunity Tax Credit statute (R.S. 47:287.750), defunding a tax relief program.95% confidence ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRepeals mandatory offender rehabilitation programs and advisory council, eliminating workforce development requirements for inmates per repealed statutes.95% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 24, 2026 Signed May 22, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB296 Original → HB296 Act 297 · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was enrolled and renumbered as Act 297, removing a correction note that would have repealed the Reentry Advisory Council. Substantively, the bill adds new definitions for 'Eligible business' and 'Eligible re-entrant' to expand the Louisiana Work Opportunity Tax Credit to businesses participating in specific work release programs and inmates actively participating in those programs.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include work release programs in the definition of eligible entities for the tax credit.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'Eligible re-entrant' to include inmates or former inmates actively participating in work release programs.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the definition of 'Eligible business' to include businesses participating in work release programs under R.S. 15:711, 1111, 1199.9, or 1199.10.

TECHNICAL

Removed a correction note that would have repealed the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act.

Updated page counts from 5 to 4 and changed the document status from 'Original' to 'Enrolled'.

Floor votes · Senate May 18, 2026 · House Apr 8, 2026

How they voted

33–0
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 40
May 18, 2026
D Democratic12
10 Yea 2
83% Yea
R Republican28
23 Yea 5
82% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 6, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (10-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Alonzo Knox
Alonzo Knox
DDemocratic
LA
93