House Bill 322 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 15:574.12.1 to prohibit the assessment of fees or costs against specified individuals who request copies of testimony presented in executive session before the Board of Pardons and the Committee on Parole. The bill adds a new subsection (G) to the statute establishing that no fees or costs provided by law shall be assessed against victims, spouses or next of kin of deceased victims, or legal guardians of victims who make such requests under the existing framework. The statute simultaneously preserves the authority of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and law enforcement to share information as authorized or required by state or federal law.
The practical effect of this legislation is to eliminate financial barriers for crime victims and their families when seeking access to testimony delivered during executive session proceedings before the pardon and parole boards. Victims, surviving family members of deceased victims, and appointed guardians of victims will no longer face copying fees, processing fees, or other costs associated with obtaining records of testimony from these confidential hearings. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections and law enforcement agencies will handle victim requests for testimony copies without charging the requesting party for the administrative or operational expenses involved in fulfilling such requests.
This bill operates within the existing statutory framework governing executive session testimony before the Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole as established in Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 15:574.12.1. The statute already addresses confidentiality protections, authorized release mechanisms, violations of confidentiality, and exceptions to confidentiality requirements. House Bill 322 does not alter those foundational confidentiality rules or the conditions under which victim testimony access is permitted; rather, it removes financial impediments to accessing testimony that victims and their families are already entitled to receive under present law. The legislation takes effect upon signature by the governor or, if unsigned, upon the lapse of the constitutionally prescribed period for gubernatorial action.
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