HLS 15RS-786 ORIGINAL 2015 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 272 BY REPRESENTATIVE BILLIOT Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana. VETERANS: Amends eligibility requirements to participate in the Veterans Court program 1 AN ACT 2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:5366(B)(9), relative to the Veterans Court program; to 3 expand eligibility for participation in the Veterans Court program; and to provide for 4 related matters. 5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 6 Section 1. R.S. 13:5366(B)(9) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 7 ยง5366. The Veterans Court program 8 * * * 9 B. Participation in probation programs shall be subject to the following 10 provisions: 11 * * * 12 (9) In order to be eligible for the Veterans Court program, the defendant 13 must satisfy each of the following criteria: 14 (a) The defendant cannot have any prior felony convictions for any offenses 15 defined as crimes of violence in R.S. 14:2(B) a homicide as defined in R.S. 14:29. 16 (b) The crime before the court cannot be a crime of violence as any offense 17 defined as a homicide in R.S. 14:29 or any sex offense requiring registration under 18 R.S. 15:540 et seq. in R.S. 14:2(B). 19 (c) Other criminal proceedings alleging commission of a crime of violence 20 as any offense defined in R.S. 14:2(B) cannot be pending against the defendant as 21 a homicide in R.S. 14:29 or any sex offense requiring registration under R.S. 15:540 22 et seq. cannot be pending against the defendant. Page 1 of 2 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 15RS-786 ORIGINAL HB NO. 272 1 (d) The crime before the court cannot be a charge of driving under the 2 influence of alcohol or any other drug or drugs a controlled dangerous substance as 3 defined in R.S. 40:964 that resulted in the death of a person. 4 * * * DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 272 Original 2015 Regular Session Billiot Abstract: Provides relative to the eligibility requirements for the Veterans Court program. Present law excludes a defendant from participating in the Veterans Court program if the defendant's crime being considered before the court is a crime of violence as defined in present law or if the defendant has a prior felony offense or other pending criminal proceedings alleging commission of a crime of violence. Proposed law expands participation in the Veterans Court program by excluding only those defendants whose crime before the court is a homicide or sex offense requiring registration as defined in present law or if the defendant has prior felony convictions or other pending criminal proceedings alleging commission of a homicide or sex offense. Present law prohibits the defendant from participating in the program if the crime before the court involves driving under the influence of alcohol or any other drug or drugs that resulted in the death of a person. Proposed law retains present law and changes the term "drug or drugs" to "controlled dangerous substance" as defined in present law. (Amends R.S. 13:5366(B)(9)) Page 2 of 2 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.