SLS 25RS-302 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 183
BY SENATOR MORRIS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CRIME/PUNISHMENT. Creates the crime of unlawful accepting of a thing of value by a
public servant. (8/1/25)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 14:134.4, relative to official misconduct and corrupt practices; to create the
3 crime of unlawful accepting of a thing of value by a public servant; to provide the
4 elements of the offense; to provide definitions; to provide penalties; and to provide
5 for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 14:134.4 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 ยง134.4. Unlawful receipt
9 A.(1) It shall be unlawful for a public servant subject to the Code of
10 Governmental Ethics or his immediate family to accept any thing of economic
11 value, either directly or indirectly, from a nongovernmental organization that
12 receives any funds from the agency of the public servant.
13 (2) It shall be unlawful for any person to aid or abet any act prohibited
14 by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.
15 B. As used in this Section:
16 (1) "Agency" or "agency of the public servant" shall have the same
17 meaning as provided in R.S. 42:1102.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 183
SLS 25RS-302 ORIGINAL
1 (2) "Immediate family" shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S.
2 42:1102.
3 (3) "Nongovernmental organization" means a nonprofit group or
4 organization that receives funds from a governmental agency, department,
5 office, bureau, or other governmental entity administered by any branch or
6 political subdivision of either a foreign or domestic government.
7 (4) "Public servant" shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S.
8 42:1102.
9 (5) "Thing of economic value" shall have the same meaning as provided
10 in R.S. 42:1102, except that for purposes of this Section, "thing of economic
11 value" shall not include fundraiser event tickets, meals, or reimbursable
12 expenses that do not exceed a value of one thousand dollars in a calendar year.
13 C. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not less
14 than five thousand dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned,
15 with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than five years,
16 or both.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 183 Original 2025 Regular Session Morris
Proposed law creates the crime of unlawful accepting of a thing of value by a public servant
and makes it a crime for certain public servants and their immediate families to accept a
thing of economic value from a nongovernmental organization that receives funds from the
public servant's agency. Proposed law also makes it a crime for any person to aid or abet any
act prohibited by proposed law.
Proposed law provides definitions relative to proposed law.
Proposed law provides that a person convicted of unlawful accepting of a thing of value by
a public servant will be fined between $5,000 and $10,000, or imprisoned, with or without
hard labor, between one and five years, or both.
Effective August 1, 2025.
(Adds R.S. 14:134.4)
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.