Louisiana 2026 Regular Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB 81 — CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Provides relative to waiver of a trial by jury in a noncapital felony case. (See Act)

Last action — Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 455.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Jeff Landry (Republican) on May 29, 2026.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill allows for jury trial waivers in noncapital felony cases.

This legislation enables defendants in noncapital felony cases to waive their right to a jury trial. This change aims to streamline the legal process in certain situations.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

11 added · 31 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Bill SB 81, a reference to "ACT No. 455" has been removed. This change simplifies the bill by eliminating unnecessary references that might confuse readers about its current content. By streamlining the language, it helps ensure that the focus remains on the current provisions of the bill, making it clearer for everyone involved.

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Latest
SLS 26RS-26 ENGROSSED Regular Session SENATE BILL NO.
Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE BILL NO.
81 BY SENATOR MORRIS CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.
81 BY SENATOR MORRIS AN ACT ToamendandreenactCodeofCriminalProcedureArt.780(C),relativetotherighttowaive trial by jury;
Provides relative to waiver of a trial by jury in a noncapital felony case.
(See Act) AN ACT ToamendandreenactCodeofCriminalProcedureArt.780(C),relativetotherighttowaive trial by jury;
With the consent of the district attorneythe defendant maywaive trial by jurywithin forty-fivedays priortothecommencementoftrialThecourtshall deny a defendant's motion to waive a jury trial unless the prosecuting authority provides written consent to the waiver.
With the consent of the district attorneythe defendant maywaive trial by jurywithinforty-fivedayspriortothecommencementoftrialThecourtshall deny a defendant's motion to waive a jury trial unless the prosecuting authority provides written consent to the waiver.
This Actshall takeeffectand become operativeif and when the proposed amendmentto ArticleI, Section17(A)oftheConstitutionofLouisianacontainedin theAct Page 1 of 2 Coding:
This Actshall take effectand become operativeif and when theproposed amendmentto ArticleI, Section17(A)oftheConstitution ofLouisianacontainedin theAct which originated as Senate Bill No.
Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SLS 26RS-26 ENGROSSED SB NO.
81 which originated as Senate Bill No.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared bySenate Legislative Services.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.
Page 1 of 1 Coding:
[R.S.
1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] DIGEST SB 81 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Morris Present law provides that a defendant in a noncapital case may knowingly, intelligently, irrevocably, and unilaterally waive his right to a jury trial up to 45 days prior to the commencement of trial.
Present law further provides that he may, with the consent of the district attorney, waive his right to a jurytrial within 45 days of the commencement of trial.
Proposed law provides that a defendant in a noncapital case may waive his right to a jury trial at any time prior to the commencement of trial with the written consent of the prosecuting authority.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Effective onlyif the proposed amendment to La.
Const.
Art.
I, Sec.
17(A) which originated as Senate Bill No.
97 of the 2026 Regular Session is adopted at a statewide election and becomes effective.
(Amends C.Cr.P.
Art.
780(C)) Page 2 of 2 Coding:
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Action History

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 455.

  2. Effective date: See Act.

  3. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

  4. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

  5. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

  6. Called from the calendar.

  7. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 59, nays 41. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate..

  8. Received from the House without amendments.

  9. Called from the calendar.

  10. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  11. Notice given.

  12. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/19/2026.

  13. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  14. Notice given.

  15. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/18/2026.

  16. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/13/2026.

  17. Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

  18. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  19. Reported favorably (7-3). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  20. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  21. Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 11 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  22. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  23. Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  24. Reported favorably.

  25. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

  26. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on · 51 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 146 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

FINAL PASSAGE (#1402)

Passed 59 Yea · 41 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4300
Republican 521105
Democrat 32700
Total 594105
% of votes cast 56%39%0%5%
How each member voted (105)
Member Party Vote
Mr. Speaker — Yea
Galle — Yea
Stagni — Yea
Amedee — Nay
Johnson, T. — Nay
Landry, T. — Nay
St. Blanc — Yea
Adrian Fisher Democrat Yea
Aimee Adatto Freeman Democrat Nay
Alonzo L. Knox Democrat Nay
Barbara Carpenter Democrat Nay
C. Denise Marcelle Democrat Nay
Candace N. Newell Democrat Nay
Chasity Martinez Democrat Nay
Dana Henry Democrat Nay
Delisha Boyd Democrat Nay
Ed Murray Democrat Nay
Edmond Jordan Democrat Nay
Gerald Boudreaux Democrat Yea
III, Ed Larvadain Democrat Nay
Joy Walters Democrat Nay
Jr., Kyle M. Green Democrat Nay
Ken Brass Democrat Nay
Mandie Landry Democrat Nay
Marcus Anthony Bryant Democrat Nay
Pat Moore Democrat Nay
Rashid Armand Young Democrat Nay
Robby Carter Democrat Nay
Rodney Lyons Democrat Nay
Roy Daryl Adams Democrat Nay
Shaun Raphael Mena Democrat Nay
Sr., Wilford Carter Democrat Nay
Steven Jackson Democrat Yea
Sylvia Elaine Taylor Democrat Nay
Tammy T. Phelps Democrat Nay
Tehmi Jahi Chassion Democrat Nay
Vanessa Caston LaFleur Democrat Nay
Annie Spell Republican Yea
Barbara Reich Freiberg Republican Yea
Beth Anne Billings Republican Yea
Brett F. Geymann Republican Yea
Brian Leonard Glorioso Republican Yea
Bryan Fontenot Republican Yea
Chad Michael Boyer Republican Yea
Chance Keith Henry Republican Yea
Christopher Turner Republican Yea
Danny McCormick Republican Not Voting
Daryl Andrew Deshotel Republican Not Voting
Debbie Villio Republican Yea
Dixon Wallace McMakin Republican Not Voting
Dodie Horton Republican Yea
Emily Chenevert Republican Yea
Foy Bryan Gadberry Republican Yea
Francis C. Thompson Republican Yea
Gregory A. Miller Republican Nay
III, Roger William Wilder Republican Nay
III, Vincent E. Cox Republican Yea
IV, Gerald "Beau" Beaullieu Republican Yea
Jack McFarland Republican Yea
Jacob Braud Republican Yea
Jacob Jules Landry Republican Yea
Jason Brian DeWitt Republican Yea
Jeffrey "Jeff" Fons Wiley Republican Yea
Jeremy LaCombe Republican Nay
Jerome Zeringue Republican Yea
Jessica Domangue Republican Yea
John E. Wyble Republican Yea
Joseph A. Orgeron Republican Yea
Josh Carlson Republican Yea
Jr., Dennis Bamburg Republican Yea
Jr., John R. Illg Republican Yea
Jr., Michael Robert Bayham Republican Yea
Kathy Edmonston Republican Nay
Kellee Hennessy Dickerson Republican Nay
Kim Carver Republican Yea
Kimberly Landry Coates Republican Yea
Larry A. Bagley Republican Not Voting
Lauren Ventrella Republican Nay
Laurie Schlegel Republican Yea
Les Farnum Republican Yea
Mark Wright Republican Yea
Michael "Gabe" Firment Republican Yea
Michael Charles Echols Republican Yea
Michael Melerine Republican Nay
Mike Johnson Republican Yea
Neil Riser Republican Yea
Nicholas Muscarello Republican Yea
Paul Sawyer Republican Yea
Phillip Eric Tarver Republican Nay
Polly Thomas Republican Yea
R. Dewith Carrier Republican Yea
Raymond J. Crews Republican Nay
Reese "Skip" Broussard Republican Yea
Rhonda Gaye Butler Republican Yea
Robert "Bob" Owen Republican Nay
Rodney Schamerhorn Republican Nay
Ryan Bourriaque Republican Yea
Shane Mack Republican Yea
Sr., Peter F. Egan Republican Yea
Stephanie H. Berault Republican Yea
Stephanie Hilferty Republican Not Voting
Timothy P. Kerner Republican Yea
Tony Bacala Republican Yea
Troy Jude Hebert Republican Yea
Wayne McMahen Republican Yea

Official roll call →

FINAL PASSAGE (#136)

Passed 27 Yea · 11 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 1000
Republican 26001
Democrat 01100
Total 271101
% of votes cast 69%28%0%3%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Mr. President — Yea
Edward J. Price Democrat Nay
Gary Carter Democrat Nay
Gerald Boudreaux Democrat Nay
Jay Luneau Democrat Nay
Jimmy Harris Democrat Nay
Katrina R. Jackson-Andrews Democrat Nay
Larry Selders Democrat Nay
Regina Barrow Democrat Nay
Royce Duplessis Democrat Nay
Sam Jenkins Democrat Nay
Sidney Barthelemy II Democrat Nay
Adam Bass Republican Yea
Alan Seabaugh Republican Yea
Beth Mizell Republican Yea
Blake Miguez Republican Not Voting
Bob Hensgens Republican Yea
Brach Jerad Myers Republican Yea
Caleb Kleinpeter Republican Yea
Eddie J. Lambert Republican Yea
Franklin J. Foil Republican Yea
Glen Womack Republican Yea
Gregory A. Miller Republican Yea
Heather Cloud Republican Yea
Jeremy Stine Republican Yea
John C. "Jay" Morris Republican Yea
Jr., William "Bill" Wheat Republican Yea
Kirk Talbot Republican Yea
Mark Abraham Republican Yea
Michael "Big Mike" Fesi Republican Yea
Mike Reese Republican Yea
Patrick Connick Republican Yea
Patrick McMath Republican Yea
Rick Edmonds Republican Yea
Robert "Bob" Owen Republican Yea
Robert Allain Republican Yea
Stewart Jr. Cathey Republican Yea
Thomas A. Pressly Republican Yea
Valarie Hodges Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 81?
SB 81 is sponsored by John C. "Jay" Morris (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 81?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 81?
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