Criminal Justice (Courts)

in committee · Louisiana · House May 6, 2026

HCR 99: CRIMINAL/JUSTICE: Creates the Louisiana Electronic Monitoring and GPS Oversight Task Force

This bill establishes the Louisiana Electronic Monitoring and GPS Oversight Task Force to study how electronic and GPS tracking devices are used for court supervision and public safety. The task force will examine current practices regarding reporting, accountability, infrastructure, and standards, then submit a report with recommendations to the legislature. Its membership includes representatives from the legislature, law enforcement, courts, victim advocates, and technology experts to ensure diverse input. The group is designed to advise state agencies and identify gaps in the system without replacing the authority of existing criminal justice organizations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates an oversight task force to study electronic monitoring, enhancing accountability and standards in criminal justice supervision.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement

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passed · Louisiana · House Jun 3, 2026

HR 391: COURTS: Creates a task force to study the effectiveness of the 18th Judicial District Court Drug Court Program

This resolution establishes a task force to evaluate the 18th Judicial District Court Drug Court Program and related behavioral health services for incarcerated individuals in Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and West Baton Rouge Parishes. The eleven-member group includes representatives from the courts, health and corrections departments, mental health and substance abuse professionals, and legislative leaders. Their mandate is to examine specific operational aspects such as recidivism rates, treatment effectiveness, mental health evaluation timeliness, and the costs of the program compared to standard incarceration. The task force must hold its initial meeting within sixty days and submit a final report with findings and recommendations to state committees by February 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes a task force to evaluate drug court programs and behavioral health services, aiming to improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts

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passed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HR 323: SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Commends the Louisiana Court Appointed Special Advocate programs and volunteers and designates May 27, 2026, as CASA Day at the Capitol

This resolution honors the Louisiana Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs and volunteers for their work supporting abused and neglected children in the state's court system. It specifically recognizes James Barse as the Volunteer Advocate of the Year and Ja'Nika Stanley as the Heart of Advocacy Award recipient. Additionally, the bill designates May 27, 2026, as CASA Day at the Capitol to highlight the contributions of these community members.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill honors CASA programs that support abused children in the court system, strengthening juvenile justice support mechanisms.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · Louisiana · Senate Apr 1, 2026

SB 481: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: Provides relative to motions for a new trial. (8/1/26)

This bill amends Louisiana's Code of Criminal Procedure to clarify how courts handle motions for a new trial. It establishes that appellate courts can only review these motions if there was a legal error, rather than re-evaluating the facts or evidence. To succeed, a defendant must prove that no reasonable jury could have found them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution. This change standardizes the legal test for granting new trials and limits the scope of appellate review to questions of law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill clarifies appellate review standards to prevent fact-reopening, protecting defendant rights and ensuring fair trial outcomes.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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passed both · Louisiana · House May 28, 2026

HCR 64: COURTS: Requests a study to make recommendations regarding behavioral health courts

This bill directs the Louisiana Supreme Court's drug and specialty court program to conduct a study on the potential effectiveness, impact, and costs of establishing behavioral health courts in three specific parishes: Ouachita, East Baton Rouge, and Orleans. The program is required to complete this study and submit its findings and recommendations to relevant House and Senate committees no later than January 1, 2027. This legislative request focuses on gathering data to inform future decisions regarding the expansion of these specialized court programs.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill promotes behavioral health courts to improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · Louisiana · House Mar 31, 2026

HB 1067: CIVIL SERVICE/FIRE & POL: Provides relative to the fire and police civil service

This bill updates Louisiana's civil service laws for fire and police departments, primarily affecting municipal employees in these fields and the boards that oversee them. It strengthens the civil service board's authority to investigate personnel complaints, enforce rules within 60 days, and issue corrective actions for issues like pay disputes, working conditions, and unfair treatment. The legislation also clarifies that board investigations must be conducted openly, prohibits private communications between board attorneys and members, and ensures employees have the right to appeal decisions to court. Additionally, the bill allows prevailing employees to receive attorney fees and requires all investigations to result in written findings and conclusions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens civil service board authority to investigate personnel complaints and enforce rules, enhancing police accountability and oversight within criminal justice system.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

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signed · Louisiana · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 1052: CHILDRENS CODE: Provides relative to confidentiality policies and procedures pertaining to work product created, received, or maintained by child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary investigative teams

This bill strengthens privacy protections for sensitive information handled by child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary investigative teams in Louisiana. It establishes that work product - including forensic interviews, medical records, and case notes - created during child abuse investigations is confidential and exempt from public records requests, subpoenas, and most legal discovery. The law requires these organizations to adopt written confidentiality policies that limit information sharing to authorized team members and allow disclosure only through court orders or specific legal exceptions. These provisions aim to protect the privacy of children and families while enabling professionals to collaborate effectively on abuse investigations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens privacy protections for child abuse investigations, protecting sensitive evidence and supporting effective law enforcement operations.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill strengthens data privacy protections for sensitive information handled by child advocacy centers, explicitly exempting work product from public records requests and subpoenas.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

passed · Louisiana · House Apr 30, 2026

HR 38: CONGRESS: Memorializes Congress to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and to restore the rights of privacy and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures

This resolution from the Louisiana House of Representatives asks the U.S. Congress to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. It calls for repealing and rewriting the USA Patriot Act to limit warrantless searches and investigations of American citizens. The bill seeks to restore privacy rights and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also urges state officials to uphold constitutional rights and avoid participating in any violations of citizens' rights.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill seeks to restore privacy rights and Fourth Amendment protections, limiting warrantless searches and strengthening civil liberties within the criminal justice framework.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill seeks to reform FISA and repeal Patriot Act provisions to restore privacy rights and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, directly supporting digital privacy and data protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Tags Civil Liberties

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signed · Louisiana · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SB 448: PUBLIC DEFENDER: Provides relative to the office of the state public defender. (8/1/26)

This bill updates Louisiana's Public Defender Act to clarify how public defender funds must be used and to establish a judicial district indigent defender fund for expert witnesses. It requires that all state, local, and fund money be used exclusively for representing public defender clients, while also allowing judicial districts to set aside money for expert witness fees that can be accessed by both public defender clients and indigent individuals who hired private counsel. The legislation also outlines specific factors courts must consider when determining if a person qualifies as indigent, such as income, employment history, and dependents, and prohibits court clerks from charging filing fees for appeals or writ applications by those found to be indigent.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens public defender funding and clarifies fund usage to ensure adequate legal representation for indigent clients, enhancing access to justice.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HB 1011: JURY DUTY: Permits jurors to donate their per diem compensation to the formal program of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

This bill allows jurors in Louisiana's Nineteenth Judicial District to voluntarily donate their jury duty pay to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, which supports children in the court system. The legislation creates a pilot program where jurors can choose to contribute their per diem compensation to CASA during jury orientation, with the court clerk managing the collection and distribution of funds. The bill also ensures that information about participating jurors remains confidential and is not part of public records. This change applies only to the Nineteenth Judicial District and is limited to a two-year trial period.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by funding CASA program that supports children in court system through voluntary juror donations.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts