HB540 • 2026

ELECTION OFFENSES: Provides for disclosures required in certain digital political communications

Elections

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Alonzo Knox
Last action: 2026-06-02
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 652
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on ensuring clarity and visibility of the disclosures for voters.

Election Offenses: Digital Political Communication Disclosures

This act requires clear disclosures on digital political communications during election periods.

What This Bill Does

Adds new rules for disclosing who pays for digital political ads near elections.
Requires full names and contact information if the ad is not authorized by a candidate or their committee.
Prohibits using acronyms in the disclosure of who paid for the communication.

Who It Names or Affects

People and groups making digital political ads near election times
Voters seeing these digital communications

Terms To Know

Electioneering communication: A message that refers to a candidate for office and is made within 60 days of an election.
Authorized political committee: A group officially connected to a candidate's campaign that can make communications on their behalf.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify penalties for non-compliance.
It only applies to digital materials and does not cover other forms of political communication.
Effective date is August 1, 2026.

Amendments

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

House Floor Amendment #3269 Knox Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB540 3645 3269 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Knox to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB540 3645 3269 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Knox to Engrossed House Bill No.
540 by Representative Knox 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 13, delete "or digital material," and insert "or any digital 3 material that refers to a legally qualified candidate for elected office and that is broadcast 4 within sixty days before any election in which such candidate is on the ballot," Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

2026-06-02 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-06-02 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 652.
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.
2026-05-25 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-21 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-20 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-14 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
2026-04-13 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-09 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-08 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/09/2026.
2026-04-07 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-01 H
Reported favorably (13-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-26 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-26 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

ELECTION OFFENSES: Provides for disclosures required in certain digital political communications

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 6522026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 540
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1463(C)(2), relative to disclosure requirements in political
3 materials; to provide for disclosures required on digital materials; and to provide for
4 related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 18:1463(C)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 §1463. Political material; ethics; prohibitions
8 * * *
9 C.
10 * * *
11 (2) Whenever any person, political committee, entity, or organization makes
12 a disbursement for the purpose of the financing of any electioneering communication
13 or any digital material that refers to a legally qualified candidate for elected office
14 and that is broadcast within sixty days before any election in which such candidate
15 is on the ballot, such communication or material shall comply with the following
16 items under the following circumstances:
17 (a) If the communication or material is paid for and authorized by a
18 candidate, an authorized political committee of a candidate, or its agents, it shall
19 clearly state that the communication or material has been paid for by such authorized
20 political committee. The name of the political committee paying for the
21 communication or material shall be given in full and no acronyms shall be used.
22 (b) If the communication or material is paid for by other persons, but
23 authorized by a candidate, an authorized political committee of a candidate, or its
24 agents, it shall clearly state that the communication or material is paid for by such
25 other persons and authorized by such candidate or authorized political committee.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 540 ENROLLED
1 The name of the candidate or authorized political committee shall be given in full
2 and no acronyms shall be used.
3 (c) If the communication or material is not authorized by a candidate, a
4 political committee of a candidate, or its agents, it shall clearly state the (i) name, (ii)
5 physical address (not post office box), and (iii) telephone number and the world-wide
6 web address if available of the person, committee, entity, or organization who paid
7 for the communication and state that the communication or material is not authorized
8 by any candidate or candidate committee. The name of the payer shall be given in
9 full and no acronyms shall be used.
10 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.