CRIME: Provides relative to conduct that constitutes the crime of video voyeurism
HB 265 expands Louisiana's video voyeurism law to explicitly criminalize recording the body of a deceased person using any camera, video device, or drone. The bill adds this conduct to the existing definition of video voyeurism under state law, making it a punishable offense. It covers all image-recording technology, including drones equipped with cameras, when used to observe or capture a dead person's body without consent. This directly affects individuals who might use such devices to record deceased persons, creating a new criminal penalty for this specific behavior. The law focuses on preventing exploitation of vulnerable situations involving the dead.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 23, 2026
Signed May 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB265 Original
→
HB265 Act 424
·
4 edits
MODERATE
This bill updates Louisiana's video voyeurism laws to explicitly include the filming of deceased bodies as a crime while adding exceptions for law enforcement, funeral services, and news organizations. It also redesignates the crime as a sex offense requiring registration and repeals outdated penalty sections.
Scope change
The scope expanded to cover deceased persons but narrowed applicability by adding specific exemptions for law enforcement duties, funeral ceremonies, and news reporting.
SCOPE
Added observing, viewing, photographing, filming, or videotaping the body of a deceased person as conduct constituting video voyeurism.
EXCEPTIONS
Created exemptions for law enforcement officers performing official duties, transference of images by telecommunications providers, and bona fide news broadcasts or funeral services with consent.
REQUIREMENT
Redesignated video voyeurism violations as sex offenses, requiring offenders to register under state sex offender registration laws.
ENFORCEMENT
Repealed previous penalty sections (F through H) that are no longer applicable under the new structure.
Floor votes · Senate May 12, 2026 · House Apr 14, 2026
How they voted
34–0
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 40
May 12, 2026
D
Democratic12
75% Yea
R
Republican28
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
22
Key actions
5
Committee
5
May 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read by title, roll called, yeas 91, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
lower
May 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 28, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (10-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
Feb 23, 2026
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
Mandie Landry
DDemocratic
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