HB 126 is sponsored by Landry, T., John E. Wyble (Republican), Lauren Ventrella (Republican), Francis C. Thompson (Republican), Sylvia Elaine Taylor (Democrat), Joe Stagni, Paul Sawyer (Republican), Tammy T. Phelps (Democrat), Charles Owen (Republican), Ed Murray (Democrat), Pat Moore (Democrat), Dixon Wallace McMakin (Republican), Wayne McMahen (Republican), Chasity Martinez (Democrat), III, Ed Larvadain (Democrat), Vanessa Caston LaFleur (Democrat), Jeremy LaCombe (Republican), Alonzo L. Knox (Democrat), Timothy P. Kerner (Republican), Edmond Jordan (Democrat), Stephanie Hilferty (Republican), Dana Henry (Democrat), Jr., Kyle M. Green (Democrat), Jr., Jack "Jay" William Gallé (Republican), Barbara Reich Freiberg (Republican), Sr., Peter F. Egan (Republican), Jessica Domangue (Republican), Raymond J. Crews (Republican), Emily Chenevert (Republican), Tehmi Jahi Chassion (Democrat), Delisha Boyd (Democrat), Doyle Boudreaux (Republican), Jr., Michael Robert Bayham (Republican), Beryl Amedée (Republican), Roy Daryl Adams (Democrat), and Mandie Landry (Democrat).

Where can I track HB 126?

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Louisiana 2026 Regular Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 19 R · 15 D cosponsors

HB 126 — COURTS: Provides relative to the use of a facility dog by a witness during certain circumstances

Last action June 02, 2026 — Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 616.

✓
Introduced
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In Committee
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Passed House
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Passed Senate
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To Executive
6
Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 13, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Jeff Landry (Republican) on June 02, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

Enacted

Current position in the legislative process.
36 sponsors

1 primary, 35 co-sponsors signed on.
Bipartisan support

Sponsored across 2 parties (19 R · 15 D) — cross-party backing.
Cleared a recorded vote

Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill allows witnesses to use facility dogs in court under certain circumstances.

The bill permits witnesses to have facility dogs present in court to assist them during testimony. This aims to provide emotional support and help reduce stress for witnesses in sensitive situations.

What this means for you

Workers: If you work in the legal system, this may change how you interact with witnesses in court.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

16 added · 58 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Bill HB 126, the phrase "ACT No. 616" has been removed. This change simplifies the bill by eliminating unnecessary references to previous legislation. This matters because it helps streamline the document, making it clearer and easier for everyone to understand what the bill is about without getting lost in past laws.

~~HLS~~ENROLLED ~~26RS-784~~ ~~REENGROSSED~~ Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

126 BY REPRESENTATIVES MANDIE LANDRY, ADAMS, AMEDEE, BAYHAM, BOUDREAUX, BOYD, CHASSION, CHENEVERT, CREWS, DOMANGUE, EGAN, FREIBERG, GALLE, GREEN, DANA HENRY, HILFERTY, JORDAN, KERNER, KNOX, LACOMBE, LAFLEUR, TERRY LANDRY, LARVADAIN, MARTINEZ, MCMAHEN, MCMAKIN, MOORE, MURRAY, OWEN, PHELPS, SAWYER, STAGNI, TAYLOR, THOMPSON, VENTRELLA, AND WYBLE ~~COURTS:~~AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.

~~Provides relative to the use of a facility dog by a witness during certain circumstances AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.~~

The court shall allow a anywitness who is either under eighteen years of age, or who has a developmental ~~disability~~disabilityas as defined in R.S.

To ensure that the presence of a facility dog does not influence the jury ~~oris~~orisnotareflectiononthetruthfulnessofanytestimonythatisofferedbythevictim ~~not~~ ~~areflectiononthetruthfulnessofanytestimonythatisofferedbythevictim~~ or witness, the court shall may order that the presence of the dog be obscured from the jury at all times and may instruct the jury on the role of the facility dog and, on thecourt'sownmotionoruponrequestofeitherparty.Thecourtshallensurethatthe ~~Page~~facility 1dog ofis 3a ~~CODING:~~trained animal.

The facility dog's entry into and exit from the courtroom shall be done outside the presence of the jury and all precautions should be taken to obscure the presence of the dogfrom the jury.

* * * Page 1 of 2 CODING:

~~HLS~~ ~~26RS-784~~ ~~REENGROSSED~~ HB NO.

126 ~~facility~~ENROLLED ~~dog~~F. is a ~~trained~~ ~~animal.~~

~~The facility dog's entry into and exit from the courtroom shall be done outside the presence of the jury.~~

* * * F.

~~DIGEST~~SPEAKER ~~ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative~~OF ~~Services.~~THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

ItPage ~~constitutes~~2 ~~nopart~~ of ~~the~~2 ~~legislative~~CODING: ~~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 126 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Mandie Landry Abstract:~~

~~Authorizes the use of facility dogs bycertain witnesses who participate in trials relative to sex offenses.~~

Present law requires the court to allow a witness who is either under 18 years of age or who has a developmental disability to be accompanied by a facility dog, if available, while testifying in court.

~~Present law authorizes the court to allow the use of facilitydogs in cases involving all other witnesses.~~

~~Present law requires notice to the court and provides for juryinstructions regarding the role of the facility dog.~~

Present law defines "facility dog" as a dog that is certified and a graduate of an assistance dog organization that is accredited and is speciallytrained to provide emotional support to witnesses testifying in judicial proceedings without causing a distraction during the proceedings.

~~Proposed law retains present law and requires the court to allow a witness in any trial of a sex offense to be accompanied bya facility dog, if available, while testifying in court.~~

~~Proposed law permits the court to order that the presence of the dog be obstructed from the viewofthejury.~~

~~Onmotion ofthecourtoreitherparty,permitsthecourtto instructthejury on the role of the dog.~~

~~Further requires that the dog's entry and exit from the courtroom be conducted out of the presence of the jury.~~

~~Proposed law provides that the law be referred to and cited as "Duvall and Karissa's Law".~~

~~(Amends R.S.~~

~~15:284(A), (D), and (F)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to the engrossed bill:~~

~~Make technical changes.~~

~~Providethatawitnessinatrialofasexoffensemaybeaccompaniedbyafacility dog.~~

~~Page 2 of 3 CODING:~~

~~Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscored are additions.~~

~~HLS 26RS-784 REENGROSSED HB NO.~~

~~126 3.~~

~~Require that the presence of the dog be obstructed from the jury's view.~~

~~Require the entry and exit of the dog from the courtroom to be outside of the presence of the jury.~~

~~The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:~~

Show all 47 changed lines (7 more)

~~Make technical corrections.~~

~~Permit the court or the parties to order that the facility dog's presence be obscured from the presence of the jury.~~

~~Permit the court or the parties to make a motion to instruct the jury on the role of the facility dog.~~

~~Page 3 of 3 CODING:~~

Latest

~~HLS~~ ~~26RS-784~~ ~~REENGROSSED~~ Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

ENROLLED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

~~Provides relative to the use of a facility dog by a witness during certain circumstances AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.~~

The court shall allow a anywitness who is either under eighteen years of age, or who has a developmental ~~disability~~ as defined in R.S.

The court shall allow a anywitness who is either under eighteen years of age, or who has a developmental disabilityas defined in R.S.

To ensure that the presence of a facility dog does not influence the jury ~~oris~~ ~~not~~ ~~areflectiononthetruthfulnessofanytestimonythatisofferedbythevictim~~ or witness, the court shall may order that the presence of the dog be obscured from the jury at all times and may instruct the jury on the role of the facility dog and, on thecourt'sownmotionoruponrequestofeitherparty.Thecourtshallensurethatthe ~~Page~~ 1 of 3 ~~CODING:~~

To ensure that the presence of a facility dog does not influence the jury orisnotareflectiononthetruthfulnessofanytestimonythatisofferedbythevictim or witness, the court shall may order that the presence of the dog be obscured from the jury at all times and may instruct the jury on the role of the facility dog and, on thecourt'sownmotionoruponrequestofeitherparty.Thecourtshallensurethatthe facility dog is a trained animal.

The facility dog's entry into and exit from the courtroom shall be done outside the presence of the jury and all precautions should be taken to obscure the presence of the dogfrom the jury.

* * * Page 1 of 2 CODING:

~~HLS~~ ~~26RS-784~~ ~~REENGROSSED~~ HB NO.

HB NO.

126 ~~facility~~ ~~dog~~ is a ~~trained~~ ~~animal.~~

126 ENROLLED F.

~~The facility dog's entry into and exit from the courtroom shall be done outside the presence of the jury.~~

* * * F.

~~DIGEST~~ ~~ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative~~ ~~Services.~~

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

It ~~constitutes~~ ~~nopart~~ of ~~the~~ ~~legislative~~ ~~instrument.~~

Page 2 of 2 CODING: