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HB396 • 2026

EVIDENCE: Provides relative to the admissibility of autopsy photographs in criminal proceedings

EVIDENCE: Provides relative to the admissibility of autopsy photographs in criminal proceedings

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dixon McMakin
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Sent to Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on how judges should handle potentially disturbing photographs.

Autopsy Photos as Evidence

This bill allows autopsy photographs to be used as evidence in criminal proceedings.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new rule that says autopsy photos can be shown in court during criminal trials.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in criminal cases who might need to show autopsy photographs.
  • Judges and lawyers working on criminal cases.

Terms To Know

Admissible
Allowed to be used as evidence in court
Autopsy
A careful examination of a body after death, usually by a doctor, to find out the cause of death.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how judges should decide if autopsy photos are too disturbing or prejudiced.
  • It is up to the Governor whether to sign this bill into law.

Amendments

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

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB396 4274 3746 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB396 4274 3746 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 396 by Representative McMakin 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 3, delete "certain" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, delete lines 8 through 10 in their entirety and insert the following: 5 "Photographs taken during an autopsy are admissible in any criminal 6 proceeding." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB396 4274 2624 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB396 4274 2624 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original House Bill No.
  • 396 by Representative McMakin 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 3, delete "certain" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, delete lines 8 through 10 in their entirety and insert the following: 5 "Photographs taken during an autopsy are admissible in any criminal 6 proceeding." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  2. 2026-05-25 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  3. 2026-05-25 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  4. 2026-05-25 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  5. 2026-05-21 S

    Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 8 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  6. 2026-05-14 S

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

  7. 2026-05-13 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  8. 2026-05-12 S

    Reported favorably.

  9. 2026-04-22 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

  10. 2026-04-21 S

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

  11. 2026-04-21 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 79, nays 16. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  12. 2026-04-20 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/21/2026.

  13. 2026-04-15 H

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

  14. 2026-04-14 H

    Reported with amendments (10-0).

  15. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  16. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  17. 2026-02-25 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  18. 2026-02-25 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

EVIDENCE: Provides relative to the admissibility of autopsy photographs in criminal proceedings

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 396
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCMAKIN
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Code of Evidence Article 416, relative to autopsy photographs as evidence; to
3 provide for the admissibility of such evidence in criminal proceedings; and to
4 provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. Code of Evidence Article 416 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 Art. 416. Autopsy photographs
8 Photographs taken during an autopsy are admissible in any criminal
9 proceeding.
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.