Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · House May 29, 2026

HB 251: CRIMINAL/PROCEDURE: Provides with respect to criminal resentencing

HB 251 requires Louisiana trial courts to hold a "contradictory hearing" and allow victims (or their families if the victim is deceased or disabled) to make a statement before granting any motion to vacate a final conviction or resentence an imprisoned person to a lesser sentence. The bill mandates that courts provide written notice of such motions to victims and their families, ensuring they can participate in the process. Any motion granted without this hearing or notice is automatically void, and pending appeals may be remanded for the court to consider the victim's input. This bill directly affects victims of crimes and their families in criminal resentencing cases, adding a procedural step to protect their right to be heard.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires victim participation in resentencing motions, aligning with victim protection in criminal justice reform.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · House May 29, 2026

HB 245: PAROLE: Provides relative to medical parole (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 245 amends Louisiana law to establish specific procedures for medical parole and medical treatment furloughs. It requires the parole committee to notify the district attorney and attorney general at least 90 days before a parole hearing and 30 days before a medical parole hearing, allowing them to review offender records and present testimony. The bill also mandates that victims or their next of kin receive written notice at least 90 days before parole hearings and 30 days before medical parole hearings, explaining their rights. Additionally, it adds provisions for medical parole eligibility for permanently disabled or terminally ill offenders, while updating parole ineligibility rules for offenses committed after August 1, 2024. These changes primarily affect incarcerated individuals seeking medical parole, prosecutors, and crime victims.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes medical parole procedures, aligning with criminal justice reform by addressing inmate healthcare needs and reducing unnecessary incarceration through structured release processes.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 81: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Provides relative to waiver of a trial by jury in a noncapital felony case. (See Act)

SB 81 requires written consent from the district attorney for defendants to waive a jury trial in noncapital felony cases. It changes Louisiana law to mandate that courts deny such waiver requests without the prosecutor's written approval, effective within 45 days before trial. The bill's implementation depends on voter approval of a related constitutional amendment (Article 1, Section 17(A)). This directly affects defendants in noncapital felony cases and prosecutors who must now provide written consent for jury waivers. The bill is currently in the prefiling stage (prefiled February 20, 2026) and not yet enacted.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts defendant rights by requiring prosecutor consent for jury trial waiver, denying waiver without it per bill language.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 339: GAMING: Provides relative to criminal background checks in the gaming industry. (8/1/26) (EN INCREASE SG EX See Note)

SB 339 requires background checks for individuals applying to work in Louisiana's horse racing and charitable gaming industries. It mandates that applicants submit fingerprints to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification for state and national criminal history checks, including records that were expunged or dismissed. The bill specifies that license applicants (for the Racing Commission or Office of Charitable Gaming) must cover the costs of these checks, and the Louisiana Department of Justice will review the results during licensing. These checks apply to all applicants seeking licenses for gaming operations, ensuring criminal history is reviewed as part of the licensing process.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires strict background checks including expunged records for gaming industry employment, strengthening criminal justice oversight in workforce screening.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 345: JUVENILE JUSTICE: Requires the office of juvenile justice to submit an annual report to the legislature. (8/1/26)

SB 345 requires Louisiana's Office of Juvenile Justice to submit an annual report by February 1st to the Senate Judiciary B Committee and the legislative research library. The report must detail prevention programs, diversion program development, access to education/health resources for juveniles in custody, and specific statistics on juvenile custody numbers, complaints, investigations, and lawsuits. This bill increases transparency in the juvenile justice system by mandating regular, standardized reporting on key operational metrics. It directly affects the Office of Juvenile Justice, which must now collect and submit this data annually.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates annual transparency reports on juvenile justice programs and statistics, enhancing oversight and accountability in the system.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 320: LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides relative to DNA detection of sexual and violent offenses. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE See Note)

SB 320 requires Louisiana law enforcement agencies to track and resolve DNA matches from unsolved sexual assault and violent crime cases within 90 days of notification. It creates a central statewide system managed by the state police to monitor "outstanding" DNA matches (cases where agencies haven't acted on the lead within 90 days) and mandates all relevant agencies - including police departments, district attorneys, and crime labs - to report data to this system by January 2027. The law also requires annual public reports detailing statewide and regional statistics on outstanding matches and resolutions. This directly affects law enforcement agencies handling criminal investigations involving DNA evidence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates timely resolution of DNA leads in sexual assault/violent crime cases, creating a statewide tracking system to advance case resolution and improve criminal justice outcomes.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · House May 29, 2026

HB 533: COURTS: Requires the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish to transfer certain monies into the criminal court fund of the 22nd Judicial District Court (EN NO IMPACT LF See Note)

HB 533 requires St. Tammany Parish’s governing authority to transfer any surplus funds from its special court fund to the 22nd Judicial District Court’s criminal court fund annually. Surplus is defined as money remaining after paying witness fees to off-duty law enforcement officers for court appearances that year. The transferred funds can be used for any purpose allowed under the criminal court fund’s existing rules. This bill directly affects St. Tammany Parish’s budget management and the 22nd Judicial District Court’s funding.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeTransfers surplus court funds to criminal court fund, providing additional resources for judicial operations without restrictions or cuts.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · House May 27, 2026

HB 67: PUBLIC RECORDS: Provides for protected information of certain individuals

HB 67 amends Louisiana law to require removal of personal information for individuals recognized as "protected" (such as victims of certain crimes or abuse) from public records maintained by the secretary of state and district clerks. It directly affects these protected individuals by ensuring their personal details - like addresses or contact information - are not left publicly accessible online or in physical court files. The bill mandates that offices must proactively remove such information from publicly posted records, rather than allowing individuals to opt out of removal. This creates a concrete policy change to enhance privacy for vulnerable groups in government databases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects victim privacy by removing sensitive personal info from public records, aligning with civil rights and victim safety in criminal justice reform.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates removal of protected individuals' personal data from public digital records, directly enhancing data privacy protections in technology systems.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Louisiana · House May 27, 2026

HB 138: DISTRICTS/NEIGHBORHOOD: Provides relative to the Parkwood Terrace Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Improvement District in East Baton Rouge Parish

HB 138 amends Louisiana law to regulate the Parkwood Terrace Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Improvement District in East Baton Rouge Parish. It sets a yearly parcel fee for residential properties within the district between $100 and $150, requiring initial voter approval and allowing a 10% annual increase without new votes (but not exceeding the $150 cap). The fee must be supplemental to city and parish law enforcement services, expires after 10 years (with possible renewal), and cannot be combined with other fees to exceed the $150 limit. This directly affects property owners in the Parkwood Terrace district by establishing clear rules for funding neighborhood safety initiatives.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds neighborhood crime prevention district via supplemental parcel fees, advancing local law enforcement initiatives without defunding existing services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed · Louisiana · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 97: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Constitutional amendment to require the prosecutor's consent for a defendant to waive his right to a trial by jury. (2/3 - CA13s1(A))

SB 97 is a proposed constitutional amendment to Louisiana's Constitution that would require prosecutors' written consent before a defendant can waive their right to a jury trial in non-capital criminal cases. Currently, defendants can waive jury trials without prosecutor approval (except in capital cases), but this amendment would mandate written consent from the prosecutor, which must be obtained at least 45 days before trial and would be irrevocable. It directly affects defendants facing non-capital criminal charges (those not punishable by death or requiring hard labor confinement) and prosecutors who would need to approve such waivers. The amendment, if approved by voters, would change the constitutional provision governing jury trials in criminal cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts defendant right to waive jury trial without prosecutor consent, reducing individual rights in criminal proceedings per bill's mandate.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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