Louisiana bill to reduce homelessness advances despite concerns about courts

Published: April 30, 2026

By: Sheridan White, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE – A proposal aimed at addressing homelessness in Louisiana is advancing through the Legislature, though it has sparked concern among some lawmakers and advocates about charging people living on the streets with criminal misdemeanors.

House Bill 211, by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, cleared the Senate Judiciary C Committee Tuesday with only one dissenting vote from Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge. The bill passed the House, 70-28, on April 15.

It is part of a broader initiative backed by Gov. Jeff Landry that seeks to respond to an increase in the state’s homeless population in the past decade.

Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, introduced an amendment Tuesday to ensure that no homeless individual could be convicted of a felony under the bill, regardless of repeated offenses. His amendment was adopted.

“I have a serious issue with taking people and converting them into a felon after a second offense,” Kleinpeter said. Noting that he is a military veteran, he said he wanted to protect veterans who might be temporarily homeless from life-altering criminal records.