Louisiana 26RS Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB81 — CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Provides relative to waiver of a trial by jury in a noncapital felony case. (See Act)

Last action — Effective date: See Act.

  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 20, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

  • 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 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill allows waiver of a jury trial in noncapital felony cases.

The bill provides a process for defendants in noncapital felony cases to waive their right to a jury trial. This change would streamline legal proceedings for certain cases.

Summary

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

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB81 on the official Louisiana source →

Action History

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

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

  3. Reported favorably.

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

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

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

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

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

  9. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

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

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

  12. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  13. Notice given.

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

  15. Called from the calendar.

  16. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  17. Notice given.

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

  19. Called from the calendar.

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

  21. Received from the House without amendments.

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

  23. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

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

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

  26. Effective date: See Act.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on · 45 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

House: FINAL PASSAGE

Passed 59 Yea · 41 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6500
Republican 51905
Democrat 22700
Total 594105
% of votes cast 56%39%0%5%
How each member voted (105)
Member Party Vote
Mr. Speaker — Yea
Boudreaux — Yea
Galle — Yea
Stagni — Yea
Henry, C. — Yea
Landry, J. — Yea
Miller — Nay
Amedee — Nay
Johnson, T. — Nay
Owen — Nay
Landry, T. — Nay
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
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
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
III, Roger William Wilder Republican Nay
III, Vincent "Vinney" St. Blanc Republican Yea
III, Vincent E. Cox Republican Yea
IV, Gerald "Beau" Beaullieu Republican Yea
Jack McFarland Republican Yea
Jacob Braud 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
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 →

Senate: FINAL PASSAGE

Passed 27 Yea · 11 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 3200
Republican 24001
Democrat 0900
Total 271101
% of votes cast 69%28%0%3%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Mr. President — Yea
Owen — Yea
Miller — Yea
Boudreaux — Nay
Carter — Nay
Edward J. Price 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
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 Allain Republican Yea
Stewart Jr. Cathey Republican Yea
Thomas A. Pressly Republican Yea
Valarie Hodges Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Favorably

Passed 7 Yea · 3 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 7000
Democrat 0300
Total 7300
% of votes cast 70%30%0%0%
How each member voted (10)
Member Party Vote
Alonzo L. Knox Democrat Nay
Pat Moore Democrat Nay
Vanessa Caston LaFleur Democrat Nay
Chad Michael Boyer Republican Yea
Debbie Villio Republican Yea
Dodie Horton Republican Yea
Doyle Boudreaux Republican Yea
Emily Chenevert Republican Yea
III, Vincent E. Cox Republican Yea
Jeffrey "Jeff" Fons Wiley 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

What does SB81 do?
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Provides relative to waiver of a trial by jury in a noncapital felony case. (See Act)
Who sponsors SB81?
SB81 is sponsored by John C. "Jay" Morris (Republican).
What is the current status of SB81?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB81?
Track SB81 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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