HB 497 Louisiana House · 2024 Regular Session

BAIL: Provides relative to constructive surrender

This bill modifies the state's bail system by clarifying how courts can recover unpaid bail costs. It specifically addresses situations where a person released on bail (the principal) or their guarantor (the surety) fails to pay the required fees. Under this change, if the guarantor does not cover the full amount of reasonable or actual costs, the court can use a faster legal process to collect the money from both the defendant and the guarantor. This provision aims to streamline the recovery of funds without needing to go through the standard, slower civil court procedures. The law directly impacts defendants, their families or friends acting as guarantors, and the courts responsible for managing these financial obligations.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2024
Committee Review
May 2024
House Passage
Apr 2024
Senate Passage
May 2024
Signed into Law
May 2024
Introduced Mar 1, 2024 Signed May 23, 2024
Floor votes · Senate May 16, 2024 · House Apr 4, 2024

How they voted

380
Passed
Total votes 38
May 16, 2024
D Democratic12
12 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican26
26 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 16, 2024
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 39 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 8, 2024
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 7, 2024
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 4, 2024
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 101, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 27, 2024
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (10-0).
lower
Mar 11, 2024
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
Mar 1, 2024
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Bryan Fontenot
Bryan Fontenot
RRepublican
LA
55