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HLS 26RS-849 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 556
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHASSION
ETHICS/BOARD: Provides for the assessment of fees by the Board of Ethics and
Supervisory Committee on Campaign Finance Disclosure
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(1), (B), and (E) and 1511.4.1(B) and R.S.
3 42:1157(A)(1)(b) and to enact R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(4)(c) and (F) and 1511.4.1(E),
4 relative to fees assessed by the Board of Ethics and Supervisory Committee on
5 Campaign Finance Disclosure; to prohibit the conditional waiver of fees by the board
6 and supervisory committee; to provide for notification of failure timely or accurately
7 file campaign finance disclosure reports; to provide for a delay for the accrual of
8 penalties for failure to file or timely or accurately file campaign finance disclosure
9 reports; and to provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(1), (B), and (E) and 1511.4.1(B) are hereby amended
12 and reenacted and R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(4)(c) and (F) and 1511.4.1(E) are hereby enacted to
13 read as follows:
14 §1505.4. Civil penalties; failure to file; timely and accurate filing; forfeiture
15 A.(1) Any candidate, the treasurer or chairman of a committee, or any other
16 person required to file any reports under this Chapter, who knowingly fails to file or
17 who knowingly fails to timely file any such reports as are required by this Chapter
18 may be assessed a civil penalty as provided in R.S. 18:1511.4.1 for each day until
19 such report is filed, subject to the delays provided in Subsection E of this Section.
20 * * *
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HLS 26RS-849 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 556
1 (4)
2 * * *
3 (c) For purposes of this Paragraph, a report shall be considered due on the
4 deadline contained in the notice of delinquency provided for in Subsection E of this
5 Section.
6 * * *
7 B. Any candidate, the treasurer or chairman of any committee, or any other
8 person required to file reports under this Chapter who knowingly and willfully fails
9 to disclose, or knowingly and willfully fails to accurately disclose, any information
10 required by this Chapter to be disclosed in the reports required by this Chapter, may
11 be assessed a civil penalty for each day until such information is disclosed by
12 amendment to the appropriate report of such candidate, committee, or other person
13 filed, subject to the delays provided in Subsection E of this Section. "Knowingly and
14 willfully", for purposes of this Subsection, means conduct which could have been
15 avoided through the exercise of due diligence. Such penalties shall be as provided
16 in Subsection A of this Section.
17 * * *
18 E.(1)(a) If a candidate, the treasurer or chairman of any committee, or any
19 other person required to file reports under this Chapter fails to timely file a report
20 required by this Chapter, or omits any information required to be included in the
21 report, or the supervisory committee has reason to believe information included in
22 the report is inaccurate, the supervisory committee shall notify the candidate, the
23 treasurer or chairman, or other person of such failure, omission, or inaccuracy by
24 sending him by certified mail or service of process a notice of delinquency
25 immediately upon discovery of the failure, omission, or inaccuracy.
26 (b) The notice of delinquency shall inform the candidate, the treasurer or
27 chairman, or other person that the report must be filed, or that the information must
28 be disclosed or accurately disclosed, or that a written answer contesting the
29 allegation of such a failure, omission, or inaccuracy must be filed no later than seven
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HLS 26RS-849 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 556
1 business days after receipt of the notice of delinquency. The notice shall include the
2 deadline for filing the statement, filing the answer, or disclosing or accurately
3 disclosing the information.
4 (c) The supervisory committee shall inform the candidate, the treasurer or
5 chairman, or other person in the notice of delinquency that failure to file the report,
6 to disclose or accurately disclose the information, or to file an answer contesting the
7 allegation by the deadline may result in the imposition of penalties as provided in
8 Subsections A and B of this Section.
9 (2)(a) If the candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person files the
10 statement, provides the omitted information, or corrects the inaccurate information
11 prior to the deadline contained in the notice of delinquency, no penalties shall be
12 assessed against the candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person. If the
13 candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person files a written answer contesting
14 the allegations prior to the deadline contained in the notice of delinquency, no
15 penalties shall be assessed until a determination is made by the supervisory
16 committee that a violation occurred.
17 (b) If the candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person fails to file the
18 statement, fails to provide the omitted information, fails to correct the inaccurate
19 information, or fails to file a written answer prior to the deadline contained in the
20 notice of delinquency, he may be subject to assessment of the penalties provided in
21 Subsections A and B of this Section for each day until the statement, omitted
22 information, corrected information, or written answer is filed.
23 (c) Upon a finding by the supervisory committee in connection with a
24 written answer that no violation has occurred, no penalties shall be assessed against
25 the candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person. If the supervisory
26 committee finds in connection with a written answer that the candidate, the treasurer
27 or chairman, or other person has failed to file the statement or failed to disclose or
28 accurately disclose the required information, he shall be subject to assessment of the
29 penalties provided in Subsections A and B of this Section for each day until the
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1 statement is filed, until the omitted information is filed, or until the inaccurate
2 information is corrected.
3 E. F. The computation of days provided for in Subsections A, and B, and E
4 of this Section shall not include Saturdays, Sundays, or other legal holidays.
5 * * *
6 §1511.4.1. Enforcement; failure to file; failure to timely file
7 * * *
8 B. The supervisory committee may waive all or part of any civil penalties
9 assessed pursuant to Subsection A of this Section. Any waiver granted by the
10 supervisory committee shall be permanent in effect, and the board shall not grant
11 conditional waivers, such as a waiver pending future compliance with any law under
12 its jurisdiction. A request for waiver of such penalties shall be made in writing to the
13 supervisory committee, which shall promulgate rules governing the procedure to
14 request a waiver. The supervisory committee may take into consideration the
15 provisions of R.S. 18:1511.5(B) in its consideration of the request for waiver of civil
16 penalties. The final disposition of a waiver request shall not be appealable to the
17 Ethics Adjudicatory Board or a panel thereof.
18 * * *
19 E. The staff of the supervisory committee shall mail by certified mail a
20 notice of delinquency within four days after the due date of which the staff knows
21 or has reason to know, for any report or statement due under the laws within its
22 jurisdiction which has not been timely filed.
23 Section 2. R.S. 42:1157(A)(1)(b) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as
24 follows:
25 §1157. Late filing fees
26 A.(1)
27 * * *
28 (b) The Board of Ethics may waive all or any part of late filing fees assessed
29 pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph. Any waiver granted by the board
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1 shall be permanent in effect, and the board shall not grant conditional waivers, such
2 as a waiver pending future compliance with any law under its jurisdiction. Any
3 request for waiver of late filing fees assessed in a final order of the staff of the Board
4 of Ethics shall be made to the Board of Ethics, which shall promulgate rules
5 governing the procedure to request a waiver as well as to provide for waiver for
6 "good cause" shown. "Good cause" shall be defined as any action or circumstance
7 which, in the considered judgment of the Board of Ethics, were not within the control
8 of the late filer and which were the direct cause of the late filing or any applicable
9 provision in R.S. 18:1511.5(B). The final disposition of the Board of Ethics on a
10 request for waiver shall not be appealable to the Ethics Adjudicatory Board.
11 * * *
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 556 Original 2026 Regular Session Chassion
Abstract: Prohibits the Board of Ethics from providing for conditional waivers of late fees
assessed pursuant to the Code of Governmental Ethics or Campaign Finance
Disclosure Act and requires the Board of Ethics, acting as the Supervisory
Committee on Campaign Finance Disclosure, to provide notification if a candidate,
committee treasurer or chairman, or other filer fails to timely file a campaign finance
disclosure and provides for a 7-day period to correct the filing before fees may
accrue.
Present law (Code of Governmental Ethics) provides that Board of Ethics (board) enforces
the provisions of the Ethics Code. Present law (Campaign Finance Disclosure Act - CFDA)
further provides that the board, acting as the Supervisory Committee on Campaign Finance
Disclosure (supervisory committee), enforces the provisions of the CFDA.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires the board to provide notification to a filer when he has failed to timely
file a disclosure required by the Ethics Code and provides a 7-day period to correct the error
before late fees may accrue.
Proposed law retains present law and requires the same of the board, when acting as the
supervisory committee, when a candidate, the treasurer or chairman of any committee, or
other person required to file reports under the CFDA fails to timely or accurately file a report
as follows:
(1) If the person fails to timely file a report, or omits any information required to be
included in the report, or the board has reason to believe information included in the
report is inaccurate, the supervisory committee shall notify person of such failure,
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HLS 26RS-849 ORIGINAL
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omission, or inaccuracy by sending him by certified mail or service of process a
notice of delinquency immediately upon discovery thereof. Requires the staff of the
supervisory committee to mail by certified mail a notice of delinquency within four
days after the due date of which the staff knows or has reason to know, for any report
or statement due which has not been timely filed.
(2) The notice of delinquency shall inform the person that the report must be filed, or
that the information must be disclosed or accurately disclosed, or that a written
answer contesting the allegation must be filed no later than seven business days after
receipt of the notice. The notice shall include the deadline for filing the statement,
filing the answer, or disclosing or accurately disclosing the information.
(3) The board shall inform the person in the notice that failure to file the report, to
disclose or accurately disclose the information, or to file an answer contesting the
allegation by the deadline may result in the imposition of penalties.
(4) If the person files the statement, provides the omitted information, or corrects the
inaccurate information prior to the deadline contained in the notice, no penalties shall
be assessed. If the person files a written answer contesting the allegations prior to
the deadline contained in the notice of delinquency, no penalties shall be assessed
until a determination is made that a violation occurred.
(5) If the person fails to file the statement, fails to provide the omitted information, fails
to correct the inaccurate information, or fails to file a written answer prior to the
deadline contained in the notice of delinquency, he may be subject to assessment of
the penalties for each day until the statement, omitted information, corrected
information, or written answer is filed.
(6) Upon a finding by the board in connection with a written answer that no violation
has occurred, no penalties shall be assessed against the candidate, the treasurer or
chairman, or other person. If the board finds in connection with a written answer that
the candidate, the treasurer or chairman, or other person has failed to file the
statement or failed to disclose or accurately disclose the required information, he
shall be subject to assessment of the penalties for each day until the statement is
filed, until the omitted information is filed, or until the inaccurate information is
corrected.
Present law provides that in addition to daily penalties, for reports which are required to be
filed between the time a candidate qualifies and election day, the supervisory committee may
impose an additional civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 on a person who has not filed such
report by the sixth day after the report is due, and an additional $10,000 civil penalty for
failure to file such report by the 11th day after the report is due, after an adjudicatory hearing
by the Ethics Adjudicatory Board.
Proposed law retains present law except to provide that a report shall be considered due on
the deadline contained in the notice of delinquency provided for in proposed law.
Present law authorizes the board, when acting as the supervisory committee, to waive all or
part of any civil penalties assessed for failure to file or failure to timely file a report as
required by the CFDA. Present law further authorizes the board to waive all or part of the
late filing fees assessed pursuant to the Ethics Code.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that any waiver granted by the board shall be
permanent in effect and the board shall not grant conditional waivers, such as a waiver
pending future compliance with any law under its jurisdiction.
(Amends R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(1), (B), and (E) and 1511.4.1(B) and R.S. 42:1157(A)(1)(b);
Adds R.S. 18:1505.4(A)(4)(c) and (F) and 1511.4.1(E))
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