House Bill 71
| House Bill 71 | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Legislature | |
| Citation | H.B. 71 |
| Enacted by | Louisiana House of Representatives |
| Enacted by | Louisiana State Senate |
| Signed by | Governor Jeff Landry |
| Signed | June 19, 2024 |
| Effective | January 1, 2025 |
| Struck down | November 12, 2024 |
| First chamber: Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| Bill citation | House Bill No. 71 |
| Introduced by | Dodie Horton |
| Struck down by | |
| United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana | |
| Summary | |
| To enact R.S. 17:2122 and 3996(B)(82), relative to public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools; to provide for the display of certain historical documents; to provide for the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Northwest Ordinance, and the Ten Commandments; to provide for displays in each classroom; to provide relative to the use of donations or the acceptance of donated displays for this purpose; to provide for applicability; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for historical context; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters. | |
| Status: Struck down | |
Louisiana House Bill 71 (H.B. 71), or Act 676, was a law passed by the Louisiana State Legislature and signed by Governor Jeff Landry in June 2024 that directs schools to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
On November 12, 2024, United States District Judge John W. deGravelles ruled House Bill 71 unconstitutional, arguing that it was "coercive to students" who "cannot opt out of viewing the Ten Commandments when they are displayed in every classroom, every day of the year, every year of their education". Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill stated that the state would appeal the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.