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

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Mike Bayham
Last action: 2026-05-28
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Grave and Religious Institution Protection Act

This act increases penalties for desecrating graves and vandalizing religious institutions, requiring offenders to pay restitution.

What This Bill Does

Increases the fine for desecration of graves from up to $500 to up to $1,000.
Requires restitution for damages caused by desecration of graves.
Raises the penalty for institutional vandalism when damage is less than $1,000 to include fines up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months.
Increases penalties for vandalism over $500 but under $50,000 from a fine or jail time to both a higher fine and possible jail time with hard labor.
Requires restitution for damages when religious buildings are vandalized.

Who It Names or Affects

People who desecrate graves
Individuals who commit institutional vandalism on religious buildings

Terms To Know

Restitution: Money or other compensation paid to someone for damages caused.
Institutional Vandalism: Damaging property of an institution, especially religious buildings.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the increased penalties will be enforced.
It is unclear if there are specific guidelines for determining the amount of restitution to be paid.

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

2026-05-28 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 (RE SEE FISC NOTE LF RV)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 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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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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are additions.