The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 183 Prohibits Courthouse Cell Phone Bans Outside Courtrooms
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.Sponsor: Dixon McMakin
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What This Bill Proposed
Louisiana House Bill 183 authorizes the use of cell phones in all state courthouses while allowing individual courts to ban them inside courtrooms. The measure applies to all state courts including the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, family courts, and traffic courts.
The measure establishes statewide consistency for visitors and participants by preventing local courts from banning cell phones in hallways and waiting areas while preserving judicial control inside courtrooms.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Court participants and visitors
Visitors and participants gain the statutory right to use cellular devices in courthouse hallways and waiting areas.
State courts
Courts lose the authority to ban cell phones in areas outside the courtroom while retaining authority inside courtrooms.
Key Facts
- Prohibits all state courts from adopting rules that ban cellular devices in portions of the courthouse outside of the courtroom.
- Authorizes individual courts to adopt rules prohibiting cellular device usage inside the courtroom.
- Applies to all courts in Louisiana including the Louisiana Supreme Court, courts of appeal, family courts, juvenile courts, parish courts, city courts, municipal courts, and traffic courts.
- Establishes legislative findings that access to communication and research tools is fundamental for citizens participating in court proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can individual courts still ban cell phones inside courtrooms?
Which courts are covered by this legislation?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
- Feb 18, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 18, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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