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Committee approves expansion letting state park wardens issue litter citations statewide
Summary
The Natural Resources Committee reported House Bill 173 favorable with amendments, expanding civil-ticketing authority so state park wardens may issue litter citations outside park boundaries and authorizing an administrative-law adjudication process to collect civil penalties.
The House Natural Resources Committee on April 16 voted to report House Bill 173 by Representative Ilk favorably with a set of amendments to allow state park wardens to issue civil litter citations statewide and to create an administrative adjudication pathway to collect penalties.
"This legislation expands the state park rangers jurisdiction to be able to write tickets statewide," Representative Ilk said. He said the change is intended to help local governments and to focus enforcement on litter rather than more general law enforcement activity.
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, who oversees the Keep Louisiana Beautiful program moved under his office, testified in support and said state park staff will focus on litter enforcement and cleanup assistance where local resources are strained. "Where we have state parks in that area, our ranges are willing when we get the call to go out and assess the problem and write the tickets," he said.
The committee adopted a four-part amendment set (11-51) that its sponsor described as technical changes plus a provision creating an adjudicatory process to recover civil penalties. Julia George Moore, who identified herself as general counsel for the department that would administer the program, said the adjudication would be handled by administrative law judges and could be conducted by Zoom to reduce travel burdens for respondents.
Committee members pressed on officer training and safety. The lieutenant governor said park wardens are post-certified law enforcement and would use discretion on enforcement actions; the bill limits wardens to issuing litter citations rather than broader traffic or criminal enforcement.
The bill sets civil penalties and alternative sanctions for simple litter: committee discussion identified a range beginning with a minimum civil penalty around $150 or the option to require up to eight hours of community service picking up litter; penalties escalate for repeat violations. Committee testimony said unpaid fines could be referred to the Office of Debt Recovery.
Representatives also sought and received clarification on where collected fines would be used. Witnesses said fines and other litter-related receipts would be directed into a litter-abatement account within a conservation fund to support grants and local cleanup assistance, including equipment and supplies distributed to local governments.
The committee reported the bill favorable with amendments by voice vote after support testimony from the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, Police Jury Association and local law-enforcement partners.
