House Bill No. [insert number] aims to enhance the safety protocols surrounding the handling of fentanyl in courthouses. The bill enacts new provisions in the Code of Evidence and Louisiana Revised Statutes, specifically prohibiting the physical presence of fentanyl in courthouses, including substances collected as evidence. Instead, parties wishing to establish the presence of fentanyl must provide authenticated photographs and a certificate of analysis from a law enforcement-operated criminalistics laboratory. Exceptions are made for individuals with valid prescriptions for fentanyl medications, allowing them to bring their prescriptions into courthouses after notifying court security.

Additionally, the bill grants judges the discretion to allow fentanyl into courthouses for trial purposes, provided that it is handled exclusively by trained law enforcement officers. The law enforcement agency must notify court security at least one day prior to bringing fentanyl into the courthouse, specifying the relevant case. The bill emphasizes that clerks of court and other court officers who are not trained in handling controlled substances are prohibited from managing fentanyl or its packaging. Following the trial, any fentanyl evidence must be returned to the custody of the law enforcement agency, ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols.