Provides rules for live streaming proceedings in The Family Court for East Baton Rouge Parish

HB 278 enacts four new statutes governing The Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish by establishing rules for public access to proceedings through live streaming and remote viewing. The bill requires The Family Court to provide live streaming and remote public access to all court proceedings and status conferences no later than January 1, 2027, grounding this mandate in Article I, Section 22 of the Louisiana Constitution, which guarantees access to courts. The costs associated with upgrading the internet system to enable this live streaming capability shall be paid from the Court Modernization and Technology Fund established under R.S. 39:100.211. The legislation also restricts when proceedings may be held in chambers, limits the use of open courtrooms during minor testimony, allows for protective naming procedures in custody cases, and establishes strict requirements for closing custody hearings to the public.

The practical impact of this legislation falls on several stakeholders within the East Baton Rouge family court system. The Family Court itself must implement significant technological infrastructure by the 2027 deadline to maintain live streaming capabilities across all proceedings. Judges presiding over family court matters must apply new procedures, including the mandatory presence of parties and counsel when taking testimony from minors in chambers, and they must use initials or pseudonyms for minors in custody proceedings. The public gains expanded access to family court proceedings through remote viewing, though this accessibility is limited by the requirement that custody hearings cannot be closed without judicial finding of good cause and written agreement from all parties. Parties and attorneys involved in custody matters must consent in writing to any closure of proceedings and must refer to minors using only their initials or pseudonyms throughout the proceedings.

This legislation operates within the constitutional framework established by Louisiana's Access to Courts clause and builds on the existing statutory structure for court modernization funding. The bill creates new provisions in Title 13 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, which governs the organization and jurisdiction of Louisiana courts, and specifically targets The Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish by adding statutes numbered 1401.2 through 1401.5 to the existing code sections governing that specific court. The Court Modernization and Technology Fund referenced in R.S. 39:100.211 serves as the funding mechanism, indicating this legislation operates within the state's established framework for technology upgrades in the judicial system. The requirement that custody hearings remain open to the public unless both judicial determination of good cause and written party agreement are satisfied creates a presumption of openness that reflects the constitutional guarantee of access while preserving confidentiality protections for minors through the pseudonym and initials procedures.