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HB1245 • 2026

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides relative to disclosure of certain law enforcement records

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides relative to disclosure of certain law enforcement records

Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Jeffery "Jeff" Wiley
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 722
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the act adds an exception to public record laws or if there are penalties for breaking this new rule.

Law Enforcement Records Disclosure

This act limits the disclosure of certain criminal history records for witnesses in court cases.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits law enforcement from disclosing 'rap sheets' (criminal history) of people who are witnesses in court cases, unless those people agree to share them or a judge orders it.
  • Defines 'criminal history records' as information kept by the FBI and Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Law enforcement agencies
  • People who are witnesses in court cases

Terms To Know

rap sheet
A document containing a person's criminal history, including arrests and convictions.
criminal history records
Information about crimes collected by the FBI or Louisiana’s Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies to witness 'rap sheets' and does not change how other criminal records are handled.
  • It is unclear if there will be any penalties for breaking this new rule.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to define certain terms, remove specific lines about criminal history records for witnesses, and adjust language related to who can access these records.

  • Adds a definition section in the bill.
  • Removes lines that mention 'rap sheets' of witnesses involved in criminal proceedings.
  • Changes the term 'employee' to 'person' when discussing record access.
  • The amendment text does not provide full context, so some details about the exact impact are unclear.

Plain English: HCAHB1245 3645 5111 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HCAHB1245 3645 5111 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 1245 by Representative Wiley 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, delete line 2, and insert the following: 3 "To enact R.S.
  • 44:4(65), relative" 4 AMENDMENT NO.

Plain English: HCAHB1245 3645 4875 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HCAHB1245 3645 4875 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 1245 by Representative Wiley 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, delete line 2, and insert the following: 3 "To enact R.S.
  • 44:4(65), relative" 4 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-02 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-06-02 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 722.

  3. 2026-05-28 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-27 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-27 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-26 S

    Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 1 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  8. 2026-05-25 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  9. 2026-05-21 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-05-20 S

    Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-05-13 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

  12. 2026-05-12 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  13. 2026-05-11 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 2. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-05-07 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/11/2026.

  15. 2026-05-07 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered reengrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  16. 2026-05-06 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  17. 2026-04-28 H

    Read by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

  18. 2026-04-27 H

    Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 91 reported by the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice (7-0).

Official Summary Text

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides relative to disclosure of certain law enforcement records

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
ACT No. 7222026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1245 (Substitute for House Bill No. 91 by Representative Wiley)
BY REPRESENTATIVES WILEY AND CHASSION
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 44:4(65), relative to disclosure of certain records; to prohibit the disclosure
3 of certain records pertaining to law enforcement; to provide for a definition; to
4 provide for a public records exception; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 44:4(65) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §4. Applicability
8 This Chapter shall not apply:
9 * * *
10 (65)(a) To the record of arrests and prosecutions, also known as the "rap
11 sheet", contained in the criminal history records of any person who serves as a
12 witness in a criminal proceeding and which records are in the custody of the clerk
13 of court, unless the records are voluntarily released by the person, otherwise
14 available to the general public, or released by court order.
15 (b) For purposes of this Paragraph, "criminal history records" means records
16 collected and maintained by the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of
17 the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Louisiana Computerized Criminal History
18 System operated by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 1 of 1
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.