HB 889 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

FISHING/OYSTERS: Provides relative to bulk tagging of oysters

HB 889 establishes a new "bulk tagging" system for oysters harvested using alternative cultivation methods in Louisiana. It requires oyster harvesters to use a single tag (instead of individual tags for each container) to track all oysters on a vessel between harvest areas and dockside facilities. The tag must include required information from both the Louisiana Department of Health and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. This change directly affects commercial oyster harvesters employing alternative cultivation techniques, streamlining documentation for their specific operations. The bill does not alter tagging requirements for traditional oyster harvesting methods.
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 27, 2026 Signed May 22, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB889 Original HB889 Act 324 · 3 edits
MINOR
This bill updates the official status of HB 889 from its original draft to the final enrolled act signed by the Governor. Substantively, the text retains the requirement for tagging oysters and mollusks but introduces a new bulk tagging process for alternative oyster cultivation, allowing a single tag to represent all oysters harvested between the fishing vessel and the dockside facility. This change streamlines logistics for alternative cultivation methods while maintaining data collection requirements for state health and wildlife agencies.
Scope change
The bill's scope is expanded to explicitly include a bulk tagging process for alternative oyster cultivation, whereas the original draft focused on standard tagging procedures for sacked or containerized oysters.
REQUIREMENT

Establishes a bulk tagging process for alternative oyster cultivation that allows one tag to represent all oysters on board a vessel between the harvest area and the dockside facility.

SCOPE

The bill is formally enacted as Act No. 324, replacing the original draft status and including signatures from the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and the Governor.

TECHNICAL

Removed the legislative digest, abstract, and original bill number references as these are not part of the final enacted law.

Floor votes · Senate May 13, 2026 · House Apr 1, 2026

How they voted

380
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
May 13, 2026
D Democratic12
11 Yea 1
91% Yea
R Republican28
27 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. 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 4, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (15-0-1).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Joe Orgeron
Joe Orgeron
RRepublican
LA
54