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HB 183

COURTS: Provides relative to the use of cellular devices in courts and courthouses

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dixon McMakin

Allows use of cellular devices in Louisiana courthouses and courts, with in-courtroom bans and applicability limited to facilities that charge cell phone storage fees.

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
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Bill Summary · HB 183

Bill Summary: HB 183 (Louisiana, 2026) – COURTS: Provides relative to the use of cellular devices in courts and courthouses

Purpose and Intent

  • To authorize the use of cellular devices, including cell phones, within state courts and courthouses.
  • The Legislature expresses an intent to ensure ready access to communication, research, and vital information for citizens regarding matters pertinent to them and their pending judicial matters.

Key Provisions

  • Scope: Applies to all courts in Louisiana, including the Louisiana Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, family courts, juvenile courts, parish courts, city/municipal courts, traffic courts, and all courts within Orleans Parish (as per original language).
  • Authorized Use: Courts are to permit the use of cellular devices within court facilities.
  • Rules and Exceptions:
    • Courts may not adopt rules banning cell phone use in areas of the courthouse outside the courtroom.
    • Courts may prohibit cell phone use inside the courtroom.
  • Statutory Additions: Adds two new sections to the Louisiana Revised Statutes, R.S. 13:6001 and 6002, to codify these provisions.
  • Note on Physical Areas: The committee amendment adds a condition tying the applicability to courthouses that charge a fee for the storage of cellular phones, specifying that the provision applies in those facilities.

Who is Affected

  • Primary: All Louisiana state courts and courthouses, court personnel, jurists, litigants, and visitors who use cellular devices within the courthouse.
  • Secondary: Courthouses that charge a storage fee for cell phones (per the committee amendment), as the law’s applicability would be limited to those facilities.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status: As of the last action, read by title and referred to the House Judiciary Committee (March 9, 2026), with a provisional referral earlier (Feb 18, 2026).
  • Amendment: House Committee Amendment No. 1 adds the condition that the provisions apply only to courthouses that charge a storage fee for cellular phones.
  • Enactment Path: If advanced, the bill would move through committee hearings, potential floor debate, and votes before consideration by the Senate and signing by the governor (typical legislative process for Louisiana).

Practical Implications

  • Promotes public access to communication and information within courthouses, potentially improving efficiency for litigants and visitors needing to communicate or research while proceedings are ongoing.
  • Provides flexibility for judges and court administrators to restrict cell phone use inside the courtroom to maintain decorum or security, while allowing use in other courthouse areas.
  • The storage-fee condition narrows the bill’s direct applicability to certain courthouses, potentially creating varying implementation requirements across facilities.

Summary

HB 183 seeks to modernize courthouse rules by legalizing cellular device use throughout Louisiana courts and courthouses, with discretion for in-courtroom prohibitions and a limitation that, as amended, applies to facilities that charge cell phone storage fees. The underlying aim is to balance access to information and communication with courtroom safety and order.

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

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