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SB 498

CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES: Requires the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to provide state inmates housed in local facilities with the same clothing and healthcare they would be provided at a state facility. (8/1/26) (OR +$31,361,677 GF EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Katrina Jackson-Andrews

DPS&C must provide parish-jail inmates in its custody with clothing and healthcare products equal to those given at state facilities, effective Aug 1, 2026.

Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
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Bill Summary · SB 498

Summary of Bill SB 498 (Louisiana, 2026 Regular Session)

Key purpose

SB 498 requires the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) to provide inmates housed in parish jails with the same clothing and healthcare products as those would be provided if the inmate were housed in a state adult penal or correctional institution. The bill adds a specific statutory duty when DPS&C assigns prisoners to parish facilities.

Main provisions

  • Adds a new statute: R.S. 15:824(E).
  • Provision scope: Applies to individuals confined in a parish jail or similar parish facility who are under DPS&C custody.
  • Requirement: DPS&C must provide all clothing and healthcare products that the individual would receive at a state adult penal or correctional institution.
  • Nature of change: The bill codifies an entitlement for inmate provisioning (clothing and healthcare items) consistent with state facility standards, even when the inmate is housed locally.

Who/what is affected

  • Inmates who are under DPS&C custody and are confined in parish (local) jails or parish facilities.
  • DPS&C as the responsible agency for provisioning clothing and healthcare products to those inmates.
  • Local parish jail facilities that house DPS&C-custody inmates, which would need to align practice with the state facility standard for clothing and healthcare items.

Key dates and timeline

  • Effective date: August 1, 2026.
  • This bill adds a new subsection (E) to RS 15:824, establishing the provision starting on or after the effective date.

Financial impact

  • The bill note indicates an estimated net impact of +$31,361,677 in General Fund (GF) funding, though exact line-item details and ongoing vs. one-time costs are not provided in the summary. The note suggests an increased appropriation to cover the clothing and healthcare provisions for inmates housed in parish facilities.

Additional context

  • Background: Current law authorizes DPS&C to assign prisoners to parish jails. SB 498 retains this authority but tightens the provisioning standards to ensure parity with state facilities.
  • Sponsor: Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews (co-sponsor) and related committee review history indicates legislative action in Judiciary B.

Practical implications

  • Inmates in parish jails would receive uniforms and health-related items (e.g., clothing, healthcare products) consistent with what they would receive if housed in a state facility.
  • Local facilities housing DPS&C-custody inmates may incur increased costs for clothing and healthcare items, potentially affecting budgeting and procurement processes at the parish level.
  • DPS&C would assume responsibility for ensuring procurement and distribution of these items to eligible inmates in parish settings.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a one-page brief for a legislative briefing, or compare with current Louisiana law to highlight the changes more precisely.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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