Louisiana crime bill package took effect on Friday

(The Center Square) − Ten new laws championed by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill officially took effect on Friday, ushering in what Murrill described as a “transformative” set of reforms aimed at public safety, criminal procedure, and fraud prevention.”This past legislative session was a great success for the state of Louisiana,” Murrill said in a statement Friday. “I want to thank lawmakers for their steadfast commitment, and I’m thankful to Governor Landry for signing these bills into law. Together, we are creating a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Louisiana for our future.”The newly effective measures include reforms to post-conviction relief, restrictions on certain driver’s licenses, expanded authority for fugitive apprehension, and sweeping new rules on electronic monitoring.HB675 rewrites much of Louisiana’s post-conviction relief process to streamline litigation and curb delays. The new law imposes stricter deadlines for courts and petitioners, limits successive or incomplete (“shell”) filings, and defines new evidentiary thresholds for factual innocence claims.It also grants the attorney general more oversight and limits when petitioners can raise new constitutional claims. Critics say it could restrict access to justice for wrongfully convicted individuals, while proponents argue it brings much-needed discipline to a slow and overburdened process.SB95 creates criminal penalties for tampering with or violating electronic monitoring conditions, such as entering court-designated “exclusion zones” or violating curfews.It also requires real-time reporting of violations and mandates that providers be certified and subject to state oversight. Repeat violations can now lead to automatic termination from monitoring programs and return to custody.Under HB303, the attorney general now oversees a statewide Fugitive Apprehension Unit with full arrest authority, including for warrantless arrests. The unit prioritizes the capture of violent offenders and those evading electronic monitoring.The legislation gives Murrill’s office expanded jurisdiction to coordinate with federal and local agencies in statewide task forces.HB554 requires the Office of Motor Vehicles to imprint restriction codes on licenses issued to legal non-citizens and mandates a warning notice about voting restrictions under state law.The law also mandates monthly data-sharing with the Secretary of State to aid voter roll maintenance, a move likely to spark further debate over citizenship and ballot access in Louisiana.Other bills in the package include regulations for crypto ATMs, government e-filing fees, and Medicaid program enforcement. A full list is available via the Attorney General’s website.Murrill, a Republican elected in 2023, has closely aligned her priorities with Gov. Jeff Landry’s “tough-on-crime” agenda, marking these laws as key wins in her first legislative session as the state’s top legal officer.