BATON ROUGE, La. -- Two New Orleans legislators narrowly lost a vote to make 15- and 16-year-olds convicted of the most serious of crimes eligible for parole at age 31.

The vote was 49-48 in favor of the bill by Reps. J.P. Morrell and Walter Leger III, both D-New Orleans. But a bill must have 53 votes to pass in the 105-member House. Morrell and Leger reserved the right to try again later in the session.

Leger said the bill would provide a slight chance of eventual freedom for people who were too young to fully understand the consequences of their actions. He said it would apply to approximately 300 people now in prison and he stressed that the bill would not obligate the parole board to grant a hearing for anyone.

He noted that 14-year-olds, convicted in juvenile court of the same crimes, are freed at age 31.

Opponents said the bill would be unfair to victims and their families.

Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, cited the torture killing by a 15-year-old boy of a teenage girl in his area. He said relatives of the victim fear the killer may someday be freed. "Her two siblings -- they're terrified," Jones said.

Others said that if a parole hearing were to be granted, those who suffered because of the original crime would have to relive the details at the hearing.

But support came from one victim's relative: Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans.

Richmond told the House that his aunt was murdered about two years ago by her 16-year-old neighbor. Stressing that the bill would only make parole an option, Richmond said it is an option he would like to have.

"If I'm still furious like I am today, it will make me feel good to tell the parole board to send him back to jail," Richmond said. But he said he might someday change his mind if he decides "that it doesn't do my aunt's memory any good to have him die in jail."

It was uncertain when Leger and Morrell might try to win passage again.