Creates the crime of unlawful accepting of a thing of value by a legislator. (8/1/25)
Summary
SB 183 creates a new criminal offense in Louisiana law for the unlawful accepting of a thing of value by a legislator. The bill makes it illegal for a sitting legislator, or the legislator’s spouse, to accept any thing of economic value directly or indirectly from a nongovernmental organization that receives funds designated by the Louisiana Legislature or a state agency. It also prohibits any person from aiding or abetting a violation of the new offense.
The bill defines key terms, including “legislator,” “nongovernmental organization,” and “thing of economic value,” and it carves out limited exceptions for fundraiser event tickets, meals, and reimbursable expenses that do not exceed $1,000 in a calendar year. A violation would be punishable by a fine of $5,000 to $10,000, imprisonment for one to five years with or without hard labor, or both. The measure is set to take effect August 1, 2025.
Impact
SB 183 adds R.S. 14:134.4 to Louisiana’s criminal code, expanding the state’s official misconduct and corrupt practices laws by creating a specific offense targeted at legislators and their spouses. It would subject covered conduct to felony-level penalties and could affect interactions between lawmakers and nonprofits that receive public funding, especially organizations with state- or legislature-directed appropriations. The bill narrows the scope from an earlier version that applied to public servants and immediate families, focusing instead on legislators and spouses.
Sentiment
Based on the available bill text and committee amendment history, the bill appears to have been framed as an ethics and anti-corruption measure, with no recorded floor or committee debate transcript provided. The only documented committee action was a set of technical amendments and a narrowing of the bill’s applicability from public servants and immediate families to legislators and their spouses, suggesting an effort to refine the bill rather than oppose its core purpose. No vote history or recorded opposition is included in the provided materials.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the breadth of the prohibition on accepting value from nongovernmental organizations that receive any designated public funds, which could be seen as sweeping in legitimate relationships between legislators and nonprofits. Another likely issue is the exception structure, particularly the $1,000 annual threshold for meals, tickets, and reimbursable expenses, which may be viewed as either too permissive or too restrictive depending on perspective. The committee amendment narrowing the bill to legislators and spouses indicates some concern about overbreadth in the original draft.