Louisiana Now Requires CODIS Hit Accountability

Louisiana has enacted a new law requiring statewide tracking of unresolved CODIS hits. SB 320, sponsored by Senator Beth Mizell and Representative Mandie Landry, was signed into law as Act No. 488 and takes effect August 1, 2026.

The law enacts R.S. 15:605.1 and designates Louisiana State Police as the central repository for outstanding CODIS hit data. A CODIS hit becomes “outstanding” if the receiving criminal justice agency has not cleared, acted on, or resolved it within 90 days of notification.

Louisiana State Police must build and operate a statewide tracking system that lets agencies update hit status and supports cross-jurisdictional data sharing. Full participation is mandatory for all CODIS-participating laboratories, investigating law enforcement agencies, district attorneys’ offices, and agencies handling missing persons and human remains identification by January 1, 2027.

Louisiana State Police must also submit an annual report showing the total number of outstanding hits statewide and by jurisdiction, how many were added during the reporting period, and how many were resolved.

This law creates real accountability for what happens after a CODIS hit comes back. A confirmed match only matters if someone acts on it, and this gives Louisiana a mechanism to make sure that happens and to see where it isn’t.