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HLS 26RS-1333 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 525
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER
PUBLIC SFTY/DEPARTMENT: Provides for the online publication and maintenance of
certain data used and compiled by the DPS&C
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 15:827.2.1, relative to data collection; to provide for legislative findings; to
3 provide for duties of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections; to provide for
4 the publication of certain data and information; to provide for reporting
5 requirements; to provide for implementation; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 15:827.2.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §827.2.1. Collection of certain correctional census data
9 A. The legislature finds that the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
10 collects and maintains correctional census, demographic, admissions, release,
11 supervision, mortality, and operational data. The legislature further finds that this
12 data is used to generate publicly available reports and informational dashboards on
13 the website of the department. The legislature finds that public access to this data
14 in machine-readable form promotes transparency, accountability, and informed
15 policymaking. The legislature previously adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No.
16 32 of the 2024 Regular Session, which urged and requested the Department of Public
17 Safety and Corrections to publish certain correctional census data in downloadable
18 format. The legislature now finds that codification of these transparency
19 requirements is necessary to ensure uniform, consistent, and timely public access to
20 correctional system data.
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HLS 26RS-1333 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 525
1 B.(1) No later than thirty days after the end of each calendar month, the
2 department shall publish on its publicly accessible website the downloadable,
3 machine-readable version of the offender census at state correctional facilities.
4 (2) The report required pursuant to this Subsection shall include all of the
5 following:
6 (a) Availability in Microsoft Excel format.
7 (b) Comparable data elements across both parish and state facility reports as
8 applicable.
9 (c) A breakdown of individuals, as applicable, who are housed on behalf of
10 other agencies that include but are not limited to any of the following:
11 (i) United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
12 (ii) United States Marshals Service.
13 (iii) Individuals sentenced to parish prisons or jails.
14 (iv) Pre-trial detainees.
15 C.(1) The department shall publish on its website, in Microsoft Excel format,
16 all underlying datasets used to generate each informational dashboard that include
17 but are not limited to any of the following:
18 (a) Interactive demographic dashboards that include all of the following:
19 (i) Demographics information on the prison population.
20 (ii) Demographic trend information on the prison population.
21 (iii) Demographic information on the population that is under supervision.
22 (b) Interactive admission and release dashboards that include all of the
23 following:
24 (i) Demographic information on admissions by calendar year.
25 (ii) Demographic information on releases by calendar year.
26 (c) An interactive death dashboard that includes demographic information
27 on deaths that occurred in the prison population.
28 (2) The department shall update the datasets on an annual basis.
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HLS 26RS-1333 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 525
1 (3) Each dataset shall include all variables used to generate the
2 corresponding dashboard.
3 D. A current codebook shall accompany each published dataset with all of
4 the following information:
5 (1) Definitions of each variable.
6 (2) Data type specifications.
7 (3) Coding values and descriptions.
8 (4) Methodology used to compile or calculate the dataset.
9 (5) Known limitations or exclusions.
10 E. The department shall publish and maintain on its website a publicly
11 accessible index of correctional datasets maintained by the department. The index
12 shall include all of the following:
13 (1) The name of each dataset.
14 (2) A general description.
15 (3) The date range available.
16 (4) The frequency of update.
17 (5) Whether the dataset is available for download.
18 (6) Contact information for public records requests.
19 F. Nothing in this Section shall require the disclosure of personally
20 identifiable information that is protected under state or federal law. The department
21 may redact identifying information as necessary to comply with applicable
22 confidentiality provisions, provided that aggregate and anonymized data shall be
23 published to the maximum extent permitted by law.
24 G. The department shall submit a written report that certifies compliance
25 with this Section to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice and
26 the Senate Committee on Judiciary B no later than March 31, 2027.
27 H. The department shall implement the provisions of this Section no later
28 than October 1, 2026.
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HLS 26RS-1333 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 525
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 525 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Carpenter
Abstract: Provides for the online publication and maintenance of certain data used and
compiled by the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C).
Proposed law provides for legislative findings.
Proposed law provides for duties of the DPS&C relative to the publishing of certain data and
reports.
Proposed law provides for the contents and format of the information and data to be
published on a monthly basis.
Proposed law provides that nothing in proposed law requires the disclosure of personally
identifiable information that is protected under state or federal law.
Proposed law permits the DPS&C to redact identifying information as necessary to comply
with applicable confidentiality provisions, provided that aggregate and anonymized data are
published to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Proposed law requires the DPS&C to submit a written report that certifies compliance with
proposed law to certain legislative committees no later than March 31, 2027.
Proposed law requires the DPS&C to implement the provisions of proposed law no later than
Oct. 1, 2026.
(Adds R.S. 15:827.2.1)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Administration of
Criminal Justice to the original bill:
1. Modify format requirements to provide for publishing of reports and data in
Microsoft Excel format.
2. Change the frequency update of admission, release, and death information from
a monthly basis to an annual basis.
3. Remove proposed law relative to the offender census at parish prisons or jails as
information required to be published on the DPS&C's website.
4. Make technical changes.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.