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HB 726

BOATS/SHIPS/VESSELS: Increases fines for abandoning vessels

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Bayham and 18 co-sponsors

Doubling the fines for vessel abandonment under gross littering to harsher penalties to deter leaving boats or vessels improperly.

Effective date: 08/01/2026.
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Bill Summary · HB 726

Bill Summary — Louisiana HB 726 (2026)

Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Session: 2026
Bill: HB 726
Status: Engrossed; reported favorably in House; awaiting further action in Senate (as of the provided history)

Title: BOATS/SHIPS/VESSELS: Increases fines for abandoning vessels

Overall purpose
- The bill doubles the penalties for gross littering when the offense involves abandoning a boat or other vessel. It amends and reenacts the state littering statute to specifically apply the doubled penalties to vessel abandonment.

Key Provisions

1) Amendment to current law
- Amends and reenacts R.S. 30:2531.1(A), which governs gross littering penalties.
- Current law enumerates penalties for gross littering (disposal of household/office items, automotive parts, boats/boating materials, tools, etc.) and tires, with separate tiers for first, second, and third-or-subsequent offenses.
- The bill adds a new provision stating that the penalties for gross littering involving abandoning a boat or other vessel are to be doubled.

2) Penalty structure (existing framework, now doubled for vessels)
- First offense:
- Base: $900 fine + 16 hours of community service in a litter abatement program; possible imprisonment up to 30 days.
- If tires are involved: $1,800 fine plus responsibility for removal/transport/processing costs.
- Second offense:
- Base: $2,000 to $5,000 fine + 24 hours of community service; possible imprisonment up to 30 days.
- If tires are involved: $4,000 to $10,000 fine plus tire removal/transport/processing costs.
- Third or subsequent offense:
- Base: $3,000 to $10,000 fine; suspension of driver’s license for one year; imprisonment up to 30 days; 48 to 100 hours of community service; or any combination.
- If tires are involved: $6,000 to $20,000 fine plus tire removal/transport/processing costs.
- Note: These are the penalties under current law prior to the doubling for vessel abandonment.

3) Impacted conduct
- Abandoning a boat or other vessel (in water, on land, or other locations) that results in “gross littering” would now be punishable with penalties doubled from the levels specified for gross littering.
- The bill explicitly targets vessel abandonment as a more serious offense within the littering framework.

4) Scope and related matters
- The bill broadens the scope of “gross littering” to include vessel abandonment and ensures the penalties reflect heightened accountability for abandoning boats or vessels.
- Tire disposal-related penalties remain part of the framework, and the doubling applies specifically to vessel abandonment cases.

Potential Impacts

  • Deterrence: Higher penalties for abandoning vessels could deter individuals or entities from discarding boats improperly.
  • Enforcement: Law enforcement and prosecutors gain a clearer, stiffer penalty structure for vessel abandonment within the littering statute.
  • Environmental and public-site impact: By increasing consequences, the bill aims to reduce environmental hazards, injury risks, and aesthetic/public nuisance impacts associated with abandoned vessels.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Introduced and prefiled in February 2026.
  • Passed House committee (favorably) in April 2026.
  • Sent to Senate; Rules suspended; read in Senate and placed on the calendar for a second reading as of March–April 2026 activity.
  • Final enactment status would depend on passage by the Senate and any potential amendments.

Sponsors
- Main sponsor: Representative Domangue
- Numerous co-sponsors (list includes several representatives) to support the measure.

Notes
- The language emphasizes “doubling” penalties for vessel abandonment under the existing gross littering framework, without creating an entirely separate new penalty schedule for this specific scenario.

This summary provides the bill’s objective, how penalties would change specifically for vessel abandonment, who is affected (offenders convicted of gross littering involving boats/vessels), and relevant procedural milestones.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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