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LouisianaHB 2942026 Regular SessionHouse

TRESPASS: Provides places of worship the right to remove disruptive individuals

Sponsored By: Michael "Gabe" Firment (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Judiciary CAdministration of Criminal Justice

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More legal protection for people at worship

Louisiana law lets religious leaders, authorized security members, and others lawfully at worship sites ask trespassers or substantially disruptive people to leave. Substantial disruption includes blocking activities, materially interfering with participation, or continuing disruptive conduct after a lawful order to stop. Peaceful activity outside that does not block access is excluded. People lawfully there can use reasonable, apparently necessary force to stop a forcible offense or remove trespassers who refuse to leave. This authority does not allow deadly force except when other law allows it for self-defense. People lawfully inside also gain existing protections for force used to prevent unlawful entry or make an intruder leave. Unlawful, forcible entry triggers a presumption that force was reasonably believed necessary, subject to existing statutory requirements. Qualifying force receives protection from civil liability, including for the organization owning or leasing the worship premises. Asking someone to leave also supports a defense in criminal or civil cases over reasonable, apparently necessary force ending trespass. Courts decide civil immunity before trial using a more-likely-than-not standard. Protections exclude grossly disproportionate force, unlawfully and unnecessarily used deadly force, and unlawful conduct by the person using force. The law preserves existing self-defense laws, law enforcement authority, free speech, and religious freedom.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Michael "Gabe" Firment

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Beryl Amedée

    Republican • House

  • Beth Anne Billings

    Republican • House

  • Brian Leonard Glorioso

    Republican • House

  • Daryl Andrew Deshotel

    Republican • House

  • Emily Chenevert

    Republican • House

  • Jason Brian DeWitt

    Republican • House

  • Jack "Jay" William Gallé Jr.

    Republican • House

  • Josh Carlson

    Republican • House

  • Kathy Edmonston

    Republican • House

  • Kim Carver

    Republican • House

  • Kimberly Landry Coates

    Republican • House

  • Michael Robert Bayham Jr.

    Republican • House

  • Peter F. Egan Sr.

    Republican • House

  • Phillip DeVillier

    Republican • House

  • R. Dewith Carrier

    Republican • House

  • Raymond J. Crews

    Republican • House

  • Stephanie H. Berault

    Republican • House

  • Tony Bacala

    Republican • House

  • Vincent E. Cox III

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 182 • No: 65

House vote • 5/11/2026

Read by title, roll called, yeas 71, nays 29, Senate amendments concurred in.

Yes: 71 • No: 29

Senate vote • 5/5/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 26 yeas and 9 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 26 • No: 9

House vote • 4/9/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 25. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 75 • No: 25

House vote • 4/1/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 10 • No: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 148.

    5/15/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    5/15/2026House

  3. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    5/13/2026House

  4. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/12/2026House

  5. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/12/2026Senate

  6. Read by title, roll called, yeas 71, nays 29, Senate amendments concurred in.

    5/11/2026House

  7. Scheduled for concurrence on 05/11/2026.

    5/7/2026House

  8. Received from the Senate with amendments.

    5/6/2026House

  9. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 26 yeas and 9 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/5/2026Senate

  10. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    4/27/2026Senate

  11. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/22/2026Senate

  12. Reported favorably.

    4/21/2026Senate

  13. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

    4/14/2026Senate

  14. Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    4/13/2026Senate

  15. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 25. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    4/9/2026House

  16. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/09/2026.

    4/8/2026House

  17. Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    4/7/2026House

  18. Reported with amendments (10-2).

    4/1/2026House

  19. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

    3/9/2026House

  20. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

    2/27/2026House

  21. Prefiled.

    2/24/2026House

  22. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

    2/24/2026House

Bill Text

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