HB 547 — ELECTION OFFENSES: Provides for election offenses

HLSENROLLED 26RS-1164 REENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

547 BY REPRESENTATIVES THOMAS AND AMEDEE ELECTIONAN OFFENSES:ACT To enact R.S.

Provides for election offenses AN ACT To enact R.S.

* * * PageSPEAKER 1OF ofTHE 3HOUSE CODING:OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

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HLS 26RS-1164 REENGROSSED HB NO.

547 DIGEST ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative Services.

It constitutes nopart 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 547 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Thomas Abstract:

Prohibits a person from photographing, recording, or otherwise reproducing voter registration information in precinct registers.

Present law (R.S.

18:1461.3(C)) provides for election offenses affecting election officials, or watchers and further provides for penalties.

Provides that no person shall knowingly, willfully, or intentionally:

(1) Beingaregistrar,deputyregistrar,commissioner-in-chargeorcommissioner fail to identify an applicant to vote as required bypresent law.

(2) Sign another voter's name in the precinct register.

(3) Attempttoinfluenceanelectionofficialorwatcherintheperformanceofhis duties on election day.

(4) Disobeyanylawfulinstructionofaregistrar,deputyregistrar,commissioner- in-chargeorcommissioneroralawenforcementofficerprovidingassistance to maintain order at a polling place.

Proposed law retains present law and provides that no person shall knowingly, willfully, or intentionally photograph, record, or otherwise reproduce voter registration information in precinct registers.

Proposedlawprovidesproposedlawshallnotapplytoapersonwhoisperforminghisduties as a clerk of court or an employee of a clerk, an election day or early voting commissioner, a registrar of voters or an employee of a registrar, or the sec.

of state or an employee of the secretary of state.

Present lawprovidesthatwhoeverviolatespresentlawshall befined not more than $500 or be imprisoned in the parish jail not more than 6 months, or both.

Proposed law retains present law and applies present law penalties to proposed law.

(Adds R.S.

18:1461.3(C)(5)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to the original bill:

1.

Provide that proposed law shall not apply to a person who is performing his duties as a clerk of court or an employee of a clerk, an election day or early voting commissioner, a registrar of voters or an employee of a registrar, or the secretary of state or an employee of the secretaryof state.

The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:

1.

Make technical changes.

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HLS 26RS-1164 REENGROSSED HB NO.

547 2.

Move the provisions of proposed law from R.S.

18:1461.2(A)(11), which provides relative to election offenses affectingregistration and election fraud or forgery, to R.S.

18:1461.3(C)(5), which provides relative to election offenses affecting election officials or watchers.

3.

Change penalties for violation of proposed law from a fine of not more than $2,000 orimprisonment with orwithout hardlabor,fornot morethantwoyears, or both, for the first offense and a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment athardlaborfornot more than five years,orboth, forsubsequentoffensesto not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.