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Several new laws go into effect on Tuesday in Louisiana.

One of the bills local judges are watching would ease the requirements for criminals who have been ordered to pay restitution. KEEL News has talked to several judges who tell us this bill which was part of the criminal justice reform package will leave victims with little recourse to collect what was stolen from them.

Another new law amends the definition of "household member" for purposes of domestic abuse assistance to include all persons presently or formerly living in the same residence and who are or were involved in a sexual or intimate relationship.

Fines for littering will be changing. Cities may now require more community service time and some of the fines will be going down. The law changes the fines for second offense intentional littering and second offense simple littering from $1,000 to $900 and increases the community service for those offenses from 16 hours to 20 hours.

Lawmakers also passed a bill to add to the duties and responsibilities of the Public Defender Board. The Board will have "all regulatory authority, control, supervision, and jurisdiction, including auditing and enforcement, and all power incidental or necessary to such regulatory control, supervision, and jurisdiction over all aspects of the delivery of public defender services throughout the courts of the state."

Another measure lets an immediate family member of a qualified law enforcement officer to purchase his duty firearm upon his death.

A legal procedural bill passed which calls on the district attorneys to make a written recommendation to the court that certain crimes are not to be designated as crimes of violence, and provides that without such recommendation, the offense shall be designated as a crime of violence as a matter of law.

Lawmakers also passed a measure requiring the disclosure of prescription drug price information.

To get more information on all the bills passed during the Legislative Session, Click Here.

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