SB64 • 2026

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Provides relative to video and audio recordings from cameras installed in self-contained classrooms. (8/1/26)

Education Parental Rights

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Valarie Hodges
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 237
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify updates to existing laws regarding student privacy protections beyond the new requirements outlined in this act.

Special Education Cameras: Rules for Recordings

This act sets rules about video and audio recordings made by cameras in special education classrooms, including who can view the recordings and when they must be reported to law enforcement.

What This Bill Does

Adds new rules about how videos and sounds from cameras in special education rooms are handled.
Requires that a superintendent or their designee and a parent or legal guardian watch the recordings together for the first time.
Needs anyone who sees something wrong in the recordings to tell the police.

Who It Names or Affects

Students in special education classrooms with cameras
Superintendents and their designees
Parents or guardians of students

Terms To Know

Superintendent: The main leader of a school district.
Designee: A person chosen by someone else to do their job or represent them.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how often recordings must be reviewed.
Does not explain what happens if a parent cannot attend the viewing of recordings.
Does not provide details on the consequences for failing to report suspected violations.

Amendments

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

Senate Committee Amendment #1873 EDUC Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: SCASB64 3648 1873 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Original Senate Bill No.

SCASB64 3648 1873 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Original Senate Bill No.
64 by Senator Hodges 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 2, delete lines 1 through 3, and insert the following: 3 "(b) Requiring both the superintendent and his designee or requiring two 4 designees of the superintendent to be present during the initial viewing of the 5 recordings after a request has been made." Page 1 of 1

Senate Committee Amendment #1854 EDUC Draft

Draft

Plain English: SCASB64 428 1854 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Original Senate Bill No.

SCASB64 428 1854 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Original Senate Bill No.
64 by Senator Hodges 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 2, delete lines 1 through 3, and insert the following: 3 "(b) Requiring both the superintendent and his designee or requiring 4 two designees of the superintendent to be present during the initial viewing of 5 the recordings after a request has been made." Page 1 of 1

Bill History

2026-05-15 S
Effective date 8/1/2026.
2026-05-15 S
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 237.
2026-05-13 S
Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.
2026-05-12 H
Signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-12 S
Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-11 S
Received from the House without amendments.
2026-05-11 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.
2026-05-07 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/11/2026.
2026-05-06 H
Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-05-05 H
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.
2026-04-29 H
Reported favorably (11-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-22 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-04-21 H
Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.
2026-04-21 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-21 S
Called from the Calendar.
2026-04-15 S
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
2026-04-13 S
Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-08 S
Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.
2026-03-09 S
Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-18 S
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

Official Summary Text

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Provides relative to video and audio recordings from cameras installed in self-contained classrooms. (8/1/26)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 64
BY SENATOR HODGES
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:1948(C)(5)(b) and to enact R.S. 17:1948(C)(5)(c), relative
3 to cameras in special education classrooms; to provide relative to circumstances
4 where recordings may be disclosed; to require presence of the superintendent or his
5 designee and parent or legal guardian during viewing of recordings; and to provide
6 for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:1948(C)(5)(b) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
9 17:1948(C)(5)(c) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1948. Cameras in certain classrooms; definitions; required policies; confidentiality;
11 authorization of funding
12 * * *
13 C. The policies shall include provisions for the following:
14 * * *
15 (5) Protecting student privacy and for determining to whom and under what
16 circumstances the recordings may be disclosed including:
17 * * *
18 (b) Requiring both the superintendent and his designee or requiring two
19 designees of the superintendent to be present during the initial viewing of the
20 recordings after a request has been made.
ACT No. 237
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 64 ENROLLED
1 (c) Requiring any person who views a recording and who suspects the
2 recordings show a violation of state or federal law to report the suspected violation
3 to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
4 * * *
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.