Senate Bill No. by Senator Kleinpeter aims to amend the penalties for aggravated flight from a law enforcement officer by establishing mandatory minimum sentences. The bill stipulates that individuals convicted of aggravated flight will face a minimum imprisonment of one year and a maximum of ten years, without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. If the aggravated flight results in serious bodily injury, the minimum sentence increases to two years, with a maximum of fifteen years under the same conditions. Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for the seizure of insurance proceeds related to the crime and mandates that fines collected from such violations be allocated to support high-speed pursuit driver training or the acquisition of technology to reduce public risk during police pursuits.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the distribution of fines collected from violations of aggravated flight laws. It requires that funds received by parish law enforcement agencies from these fines be deposited into a designated account specifically for high-speed pursuit training or technology acquisition, diverging from the current practice of funneling all fines into a general "Criminal Court Fund." This change aims to enhance the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement during high-speed pursuits. The proposed law is set to take effect on August 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
SB58 Original: 14:1(E)