HB179 • 2026

COURTS/COURT REPORTERS: Provides relative to the retention of notes and recordings of court reporters

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Nicholas Muscarello
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 60
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details on storage provisions or consequences of non-compliance due to limitations such as storage issues.

Court Reporters' Notes and Recordings Retention

This act changes the rules for how long court reporters must keep notes and recordings of criminal and civil cases in Louisiana.

What This Bill Does

Changes the law to require court reporters to retain indefinitely all notes and tape audio recordings of a criminal case if they are not fully transcribed, or for two years after transcription is completed.
Specifies that if all defendants in a criminal case are acquitted, the court reporter does not need to retain the notes and recordings.
States that any notes and recordings must be destroyed upon order of a court with proper authority.
Makes it clear that the court owns the notes and recordings, even when a court reporter leaves their job.

Who It Names or Affects

Court reporters in Louisiana
Courts in Louisiana

Terms To Know

court reporter: A person who makes written or audio recordings of what happens during a court case.
transcription: The process of writing down spoken words from an audio recording.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how the notes and recordings should be stored.
It is unclear what happens if a court reporter cannot comply with these requirements due to storage limitations or other issues.
This act only applies to Louisiana courts.

Amendments

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

House Committee Amendment #2573 JUD Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB179 4872 2573 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB179 4872 2573 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
179 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 2, line 7, delete "retained" and insert "be retained" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
2 4 On page 3, line 1, delete "retained" and insert "be retained" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

House Committee Amendment #2492 JUD Draft

Draft

Plain English: HCAHB179 3264 2492 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB179 3264 2492 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
179 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 2, line 7, delete "retained" and insert "be retained" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
2 4 On page 3, line 1, delete "retained" and insert "be retained" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 60.
2026-05-07 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-07 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-06 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-06 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-05 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-27 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-22 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-21 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-07 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
2026-04-01 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-01 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-31 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/01/2026.
2026-03-30 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-26 H
Reported with amendments (12-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-20 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
2026-02-18 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-18 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS/COURT REPORTERS: Provides relative to the retention of notes and recordings of court reporters

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 602026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 179
BY REPRESENTATIVE MUSCARELLO
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 15:511 and Code of Civil Procedure Article 372(C) and (D),
3 relative to notes and recordings retained by court reporters; to provide for ownership,
4 custody, and control of the notes and recordings of court reporters; to provide
5 relative to criminal and civil cases; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 15:511 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 §511. Court reporters,; retention and destruction of notes and recordings of criminal
9 cases
10 A. The court reporter shall retain indefinitely all notes and tape audio
11 recordings of a criminal case. However, if the record of the trial or other criminal
12 proceeding is fully transcribed, the court reporter shall retain all notes and tape audio
13 recordings which have been fully transcribed for a period of not less than two years
14 after transcription is completed. In criminal cases where all defendants are acquitted,
15 the court reporter need not retain the notes and tape audio recordings. Retention of
16 the tape and audio recordings are subject to the storage provisions provided in
17 Subsection B of this Section. The court reporter shall destroy any notes and tape
18 audio recordings of any matter upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Page 1 of 3
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are additions.
HB NO. 179 ENROLLED
1 B. The notes and tape audio recordings of any criminal case which are
2 retained by a court reporter pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be are the
3 property of the court in which the case was heard. The court reporter shall have the
4 duty to retain and maintain all such notes and tape recordings pursuant to the
5 provisions of this Section, although the notes and tape recordings shall remain the
6 property of the court. The court retains ownership of the recordings and notes, and
7 if a court reporter retires or leaves the employment of the court, all notes, audio
8 recordings, and other records of court proceedings shall remain in the custody and
9 control of the court and be retained pursuant to applicable retention statutes and the
10 provisions of this Section.
11 Section 2. Code of Civil Procedure Article 372(C) and (D) are hereby amended and
12 reenacted to read as follows:
13 Art. 372. Court reporter reporters; retention and destruction of notes and recordings
14 of civil cases
15 * * *
16 C. The court reporter shall retain all notes and tape audio recordings in civil
17 cases for a period of not less than five years after the end of the trial. However, if
18 the record of the trial is fully transcribed, the court reporter shall retain all notes and
19 tape audio recordings which have been fully transcribed for a period of not less than
20 two years after transcription is completed. Retention of the tape and audio
21 recordings are subject to the storage provisions provided in Paragraph D of this
22 Article. The court reporter shall destroy any notes and tape audio recordings of any
23 matter upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
24 D. The notes and tape recordings of any civil case which are retained by a
25 court reporter pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall be are the property of
26 the court in which the case was heard. The court reporter shall have the duty to
27 retain and maintain all such notes and tape recordings pursuant to the provisions of
28 this Article, although the notes and tape recordings shall remain the property of the
29 court. The court retains ownership of the recordings and notes, and if a court
30 reporter retires or leaves the employment of the court, all notes, audio recordings,
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are additions.
HB NO. 179 ENROLLED
1 and other records of court proceedings shall remain in the custody and control of the
2 court and be retained pursuant to applicable retention statutes and the provisions of
3 this Article.
4 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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are additions.