Provides relative to hazing at public postsecondary education institutions (EG INCREASE GF EX See Note)

House Bill 636 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:1801 to strengthen hazing prevention, reporting, and enforcement mechanisms at public postsecondary education institutions. The bill retains existing definitions of hazing, organization, pledging, and postsecondary education institution while adding new definitions for "hearing panel" and "student organizational advisor." It modifies how new student hazing education is delivered, allowing it to be provided either in-person or electronically rather than exclusively through handbooks. The statute creates new institutional penalties including a two-year prohibition on state bond commission authorization for institutions whose members commit hazing violations and imposes minimum twenty-five-year suspensions or permanent banishment for organizations whose hazing violations result in death. The bill shifts reporting responsibilities so that organizations must report hazing incidents directly to law enforcement in addition to their institutions, and institutions must provide complete incident information to law enforcement without redaction.

The legislation significantly impacts public postsecondary education institutions, student organizations, individual students, and law enforcement agencies. Institutions must now maintain publicly accessible websites disclosing hazing violations by recognized or affiliated organizations, including violation descriptions, disciplinary sanctions imposed, and current disciplinary status, updated at least semiannually. Student organizations must provide alleged hazing victims with information about available medical resources, reporting channels, and counseling services. Individual students who commit hazing face mandatory expulsion, suspension, or dismissal for at least one semester and potential criminal liability under R.S. 14:40.8. Law enforcement agencies will receive more comprehensive incident reports including names of all individuals allegedly involved. The Board of Regents must consult with postsecondary education management boards to develop uniform hazing prevention policies and best practices and submit annual summary reports to specified legislative committees detailing hazing incidents and disciplinary actions across the system.

The bill operates within Louisiana's existing hazing prohibition framework established in R.S. 17:1801 while repealing R.S. 17:1801.1. It coordinates with criminal statutes, particularly R.S. 14:40.8, which governs criminal penalties for certain hazing activities, ensuring that hazing incidents reported to law enforcement may result in both institutional discipline and criminal prosecution. The legislation requires compliance with state and federal privacy laws, including provisions protecting personally identifiable information of individual students in publicly disclosed disciplinary records. The Board of Regents functions as the coordinating authority responsible for establishing systemwide uniform policies and collecting data from management boards, which then oversee implementation at individual institutions. The bill establishes specific reporting deadlines and procedures that integrate institutional discipline with criminal justice processes, recognizing that some hazing conduct may constitute criminal offenses subject to law enforcement investigation alongside institutional responses.