Provides for certain state officials to carry a concealed weapon. (8/1/26)

SB 277 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:95 governing illegal carrying of weapons by creating two distinct categories of exceptions for state officials. First, it expands the list of officials authorized to carry concealed handguns on their person outside the capitol building to include designated assistants of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and forestry, and commissioner of insurance, provided these individuals maintain annual qualification in firearm use through the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Second, it establishes a separate exception permitting weapons to be carried into the state capitol building itself by the governor and designated members of his staff, the lieutenant governor and designated members of his staff, the secretary of state and designated members of his staff, the treasurer and designated members of his staff, the commissioner of agriculture and forestry and designated members of his staff, and the commissioner of insurance and designated members of his staff, all subject to the same annual P.O.S.T. qualification requirement that applies to other exceptions.

The practical effect of this legislation extends concealed carry privileges and capitol building carry privileges to additional state executive officials and their designated staff members who previously lacked these exceptions. State officials in the enumerated executive offices—the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and forestry, and commissioner of insurance—and those they designate from their immediate staff gain the ability to carry concealed weapons both in public and within the capitol building complex. These individuals and their designees must obtain and maintain annual firearms qualification certification from P.O.S.T. Council to retain these carrying rights. Conversely, other citizens not holding these designated positions remain subject to general prohibitions against concealed carry in public and absolute prohibitions against carrying weapons in the state capitol building, creating a security and access distinction between executive officials and the general population.

This bill operates within the framework of Louisiana's existing weapons statute, R.S. 14:95, which sets forth general prohibitions on the carrying of weapons and carves out specific exceptions for various public officials. The enumerated exceptions established in current law already include judges, legislators, law enforcement personnel, and several other executive branch officials; SB 277 extends this existing exception framework to additional positions. The requirement for annual P.O.S.T. qualification standards ensures uniformity with existing qualification requirements imposed on other excepted officials and reflects state policy conditioning weapons carrying on demonstrated firearm competency. The statute's two-tiered approach—one set of exceptions for general public carry and a more restrictive set for capitol building carry—operates consistently with existing law that already permits capitol building exceptions only for members of the legislature, the attorney general, and his security detail.