HB 615 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

PUBLIC MEETINGS: Requires certain public meetings to be broadcast live (RE INCREASE SG EX See Note)

HB 615 requires certain public bodies in Louisiana to broadcast their meetings live online or via TV. It directly affects nonelected tax-levying boards, state rule-making commissions, and local governments (parish councils, school boards, city councils) in areas with populations over 25,000 (parishes/schools) or 10,000 (cities). Key provisions mandate live audio/video broadcasting of all public meetings (excluding executive sessions), include broadcast location in meeting notices, and require recordings to be archived online for two years. The bill exempts committee meetings with only volunteer members and does not apply if broadcast failure results from unavoidable technical issues.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Last action Apr 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB615 Reengrossed → HB615 Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 22, 2026

MODERATE

This bill simplifies public meeting recording requirements by removing exemptions for smaller local governments and standardizing how meetings must be recorded and archived. Previously, certain boards in small municipalities or parishes were exempt from live broadcasting, but the new law requires all qualifying public bodies to broadcast live and maintain video archives online for at least two years.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory live broadcasting to include parish governing authorities and school boards in areas with populations of 25,000 or more, and city councils in areas with 10,000 or more, while removing previous population-based exemptions for tax-levying boards.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed exemptions that allowed nonelected boards in municipalities under 10,000 people or parishes under 25,000 people to avoid live broadcasting requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Added a mandatory requirement for all qualifying public bodies to video record meetings and make them available in an online archive on their website for at least two years.

Modified the requirement for parish governing authorities and school boards to explicitly include committee meetings in live broadcasts, with a specific exemption only for meetings where members are volunteers.

DEFINITION

Removed the option to archive recordings on social media platforms, mandating instead that archives be hosted on the official board or commission website.

Floor votes · House Apr 22, 2026

How they voted

97–0

Passed · 8 other

Total votes 105

Apr 22, 2026

D Democratic33

28 Yea 5

84% Yea

R Republican72

69 Yea 3

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (13-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor