Bill > HB568

This bill enhances penalties for drug-related offenses committed within designated "drug-free school zones," which are areas within two thousand feet of school property or on school buses. Specifically, it adds a provision that anyone caught smoking, vaping, or otherwise abusing controlled dangerous substances in these zones will face stricter punishments. The bill amends existing law to state that offenders will receive the maximum fine and a prison sentence up to one and a half times the longest authorized term for the underlying drug offense, and these sentences will not be eligible for parole, probation, or suspension. However, a new exception is introduced: if the offense also specifically qualifies as a violation of R.S. 40:966(C)(2) (which pertains to the distribution of certain controlled substances), the penalty is reduced to a maximum of one year in prison and a fine of up to one thousand dollars, instead of the harsher penalties outlined in the general enhanced penalty provisions.