CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to the desecration of graves and religious institutions (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV)

Crime

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Mike Bayham
Last action: 2026-05-29
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 542
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Penalties for Desecrating Graves and Religious Institutions

This act increases penalties for desecration of graves and vandalism at religious institutions, requiring offenders to pay restitution.

What This Bill Does

Increases the fine for desecrating graves from up to $500 to up to $1,000.
Requires courts to order offenders who desecrate graves to pay back any damages caused.
Raises the penalty for vandalism at religious buildings when damage is less than $500 to a maximum of $1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Adds penalties for vandalism over $500 but under $50,000 at religious institutions, including fines up to $5,000 and jail time up to two years.

Who It Names or Affects

People who desecrate graves or vandalize religious buildings.
Courts that handle cases involving the desecration of graves or vandalism at religious institutions.

Terms To Know

Restitution: Money an offender must pay to fix damages they caused.
Vandalism: Deliberately damaging or destroying property.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify which religious buildings are covered under the law.
It is unclear how this will affect existing laws on vandalism and desecration of graves.

Amendments

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

House Floor Amendment #3931 Bayham Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB330 4825 3931 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Bayham to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB330 4825 3931 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Bayham to Engrossed House Bill No.
330 by Representative Bayham 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 14, after "restitution" and before "for" insert "pursuant to Code of Criminal 3 Procedure Article 883.2" 4 AMENDMENT NO.
2 5 On page 2, line 9, after "restitution" and before "for" insert "pursuant to Code of Criminal 6 Procedure Article 883.2" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

2026-05-29 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-29 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 542.
2026-05-28 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-27 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-27 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-26 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-26 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-21 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-20 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-19 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-28 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.
2026-04-27 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-22 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-22 H
Called from the calendar.
2026-04-22 H
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
2026-04-21 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/22/2026.
2026-04-16 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-15 H
Reported favorably (11-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-24 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
2026-02-24 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CRIMINAL/PENALTIES: Provides relative to the desecration of graves and religious institutions (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 5422026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 330
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:101(B) and 225(B)(1) and (2) and to enact R.S. 14:225(D),
3 relative to the desecration of graves and institutional vandalism; to provide for
4 penalties; to provide for restitution; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:101(B) and 225(B)(1) and (2) are hereby amended and reenacted
7 and R.S. 14:225(D) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §101. Desecration of graves
9 * * *
10 B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of desecration of graves shall be fined not
11 more than five hundred one thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more than six
12 months, or both.
13 (2) In addition to the penalties listed in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the
14 court shall order the offender to make restitution pursuant to Code of Criminal
15 Procedure Article 883.2 for damages sustained.
16 * * *
17 §225. Institutional vandalism
18 * * *
19 B. Institutional vandalism is punishable as follows:
20 (1) When the damage is less than five hundred dollars, the offender shall be
21 fined not more than five hundred one thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more
22 than six months, or both.
23 (2) When the damage amounts to five hundred dollars but less than fifty
24 thousand dollars, the offender shall be fined not more less than one thousand dollars
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 330 ENROLLED
1 nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for
2 not more than two years, or both.
3 * * *
4 D. In addition to the penalties listed in Subsection B of this Section, when
5 the vandalized institution is a religious building or structure as identified in
6 Paragraph (A)(1) of this Section, the court shall order the offender to make
7 restitution pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Article 883.2 for damages
8 sustained.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.