HB 705 — LEGISLATIVE POWERS: Provides relative to contempt of the legislature

HLS 26RS-805 ORIGINALENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

Provides relative to contempt of the legislature AN ACT To amend and reenactR.S.reenact R.S.

24:4 and5,relativeto(A) contemptofthelegislature;and (B) and 5, relative to contempt of the legislature;

to provide for grounds for contempt;

24:4 (A) and 5(B) areand hereby5 amendedareherebyamended and reenactedreenactedto toreadas read as follows:

(2) having Having appeared, refuses to take the oath or affirmation of a witness, or.

HLS 26RS-805 ORIGINALENGROSSED HB NO.

705 (3)(2) having Havingappeared,refusestoHaving answeranyquestionappeared, pertinentrefuses to take the questionoath underor inquiry.affirmation of a witness, or.

(3) having Having appeared, refuses to answeranyquestion pertinent to the question under inquiry.

AWhoever personis shallfound be guilty of contempt of the legislature ifunder hethe orprovisions sheof doesthis anysection ofSection theshall following:be punished as follows:

(1) ArrestsFor or causes the arrest of a memberfirst oroffense, officerbya offine the legislature in violation of Articlenot III,more Sectionthan 8one ofthousand thefive Constitutionhundred ofdollars. Louisiana.

(2) EngagesFor ina disorderlysecond conductoffense, interruptingby thea proceedingsfine of eithernot housemore orthan atwo committeethousand thereof.five hundred dollars.

(3) GivesFor ora offersthird aand bribesubsequent tooffenses, by a memberfine orof otherwisenot attemptsmore tothan directlyfive thousand dollars or indirectlyby controlimprisonment orfor influencenot amore memberthan insix castingmonths, hisor vote.both.

C.* * * §5.

B.

Whoever is found guilty of contempt of the legislature under the provisions of this section Section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one fifty thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.

D.

C.

The provisions of R.S.

24:4 through R.S.

24:6 are herebydeclared to be supplemental to the powers of the legislature and of the senate and of the house ofrepresentativestopunishforcontempt,andthelegislatureherebyreservestoitself and to the senate and to the house of representatives all inherent and all constitutional powers to punish for contempt.

§5.

arrest WheneverastatementoffactsallegedtoconstitutecontemptunderR.S.24:4 is reported to either house of the legislature while the legislature is in session, or whenever, while the legislature is not in session, such statement is reported to and filed with the president of the senate or the speaker of thehousethe house of representatives, said the president or speaker, as the case maybe, shall do the following:

(2) Certify the statement to the appropriate law enforcement officer, who shall immediately arrest the accused for contempt of the legislature under the provisions of R.S.

24:4.

HLS 26RS-805 ORIGINALENGROSSED HB NO.

705 (2)DIGEST CertifyThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative theServices. statement to the appropriate law enforcement officer, who shall immediately arrest the accused for contempt of the legislature under the provisions of R.S.

24:4.

DIGEST ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative Services.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 705 OriginalEngrossed 2026 Regular Session Newell Abstract:

Provides thatfor thecriminal arrestpenalties offor acontempt member,of engagementthe inlegislature disorderly conduct, and briberyofprovides afor memberthe aregroundsforcontemptofthelegislatureandprovidesforthe arrest of a person found to be in contempt of the legislature.

Present law provides that whenever the legislature or either house of the legislature, or whenever any committee of either house or any joint committee of both houses or any subcommittee of any such committee, which committee, joint committee or subcommittee has been specificallyand expresslygranted the subpoena power, has summoned anyperson asawitnessas toa givetestimonyorwitness to producepapersgive orotherevidenceuponanymatterundertestimonyorto producepapersorotherevidenceuponanymatterunder inquiry before such house, committee, joint committee or subcommittee, such person shall be guilty of contempt of the legislature if he or she willfully defaults byfailing to appear or to produce papers or other evidence, refuses to take the oath or affirmation of a witness, or refuses to answer anyquestion pertinent to the question under inquiry.

Proposed law additionallyprovidesretains thatpresent alaw. person maybe held in contempt if he does anyof the following:

(1)Present Arrestslaw orprovides causesthat thewhoever arrestis offound aguilty member or officer of thecontempt legislature in violation of present constitution provision that a member of the legislature shall be privilegedpunished fromby arrest,a exceptfine for felony, during his attendance at sessions and committee meetings of hisnot housemore andthan while$1,000 goingor toby andimprisonment fromfor themnot andmore thatthan nosix membermonths, shallor beboth. questioned elsewhere for anyspeech in either house.

(2)Proposed Engageslaw ininstead disorderlyprovides conductthat interruptingwhoever theis proceedingsfound guilty of eithercontempt houseof orthe alegislature committeeshall thereof.be punished as follows:

(3)(1) GivesFor or offers a bribefirst tooffense, abya memberfine orof otherwisenot attemptmore tothan directly$1,500. or indirectly control or influence a member in casting his vote.

Present(2) lawFor providesa thatsecond whoeveroffense, isbya foundfine guilty of contemptnot ofmore thethan legislature$2,500. shall be punishedbyafineofnot morethan$1,000dollarsorbyimprisonmentfornotmorethansix months, or both.

Proposed(3) For a third and subsequent offenses, by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both Presentlawprovidesthatwheneverastatementoffactsallegedtoconstitutecontemptunder present law increasesis reported to either house of the criminallegislature finewhile the legislature is in session, or whenever, while the legislature is not in session, such statement is reported to $50,000.and filed with the president of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives, the president or speaker, as the casemaybe, shall certifythe statement to the district attorneyof a district wherevenuelies,andthedistrictattorneyshallinstituteandprosecuteacriminalproceeding against the accused for contempt of the legislature.

PresentlawprovidesthatwheneverastatementoffactsallegedtoconstitutecontemptunderProposed present law isadditionally reportedrequires to either house of the legislaturepresident while the legislature is in session, or whenever,speaker while the legislature is not in session, such statement is reported to andcertify filed with thepresidentofthesenateorthespeakerofthehouseofrepresentatives,saidpresident or speaker, as the case maybe, shall certifythe statement to the districtappropriatelawenforcementofficer,whoshallimmediatelyarresttheaccusedforcontempt attorneyof a district wherevenuelies,andthedistrictattorneyshallinstituteandprosecuteacriminalproceeding against the accused for contempt of the legislature.

(Amends R.S.