CRIME: Provides relative to criminal activity committed by an agent of a foreign adversary or an agent of a foreign terrorist organization (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
HB 635 creates new Louisiana laws to protect residents from foreign agents who attempt to control their behavior using foreign laws or threats. It defines "agents of foreign adversaries" (like government-linked entities) and "transnational repression" (such as coercion or retaliation for exercising free speech, religion, or assembly rights). The bill makes it a crime for these agents to coerce people into actions violating constitutional rights or retaliate for such actions, imposing enhanced penalties on top of the underlying offense. It also declares that courts cannot enforce foreign law decisions that deny constitutional rights protected under U.S. or Louisiana law.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2026
Signed May 22, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB635 Original
→
HB635 Act 308
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was converted from a draft to an enrolled act, finalizing its text for passage. The core policy content remains focused on criminalizing agents of foreign adversaries or terrorist organizations who commit offenses in Louisiana to coerce conduct or retaliate against constitutionally protected activities. No substantive changes to the scope, definitions, or penalties were made in this version.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains unchanged; it continues to apply to agents of foreign adversaries or foreign terrorist organizations committing specific criminal acts within Louisiana.
TECHNICAL
Removed the original header identifying the document as 'HLS 26RS-903 ORIGINAL' and replaced it with 'ENROLLED' and 'ACT No. 308', indicating the bill has been signed into law.
Updated page numbering references from 'Page 1 of 7' to 'Page 1 of 5' and similar adjustments throughout, reflecting the final consolidated text.
Reformatted the header information to show 'HB NO. 635 ENROLLED' instead of the original draft layout.
Floor votes · Senate May 18, 2026 · House Apr 21, 2026
How they voted
26–10
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 40
May 18, 2026
D
Democratic12
75% Nay
R
Republican28
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
28
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 26 yeas and 9 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 6, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 20. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (8-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Dodie Horton
RRepublican
Co
Kathy Edmonston
RRepublican
Co
Valarie Hodges
RRepublican
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