HB 249 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

COURTS/COURT COSTS: Provides relative to the use of court costs and civil filing fees in the City Court of Alexandria (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX See Note)

HB 249 changes how civil filing fees collected by Alexandria City Court are used. It directs that half of these fees fund the court's operational expenses, while the other half goes to Rapides Parish's general fund. The bill also allows court costs to directly supplement clerk pay (with consent from either Rapides Parish or the city of Alexandria) and cover operational costs without needing approval. This affects Alexandria City Court, Rapides Parish Police Jury, and the city of Alexandria by altering revenue distribution for court operations and staff compensation.
Sub-Topics: State Budget
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Apr 1, 2025 Signed Jun 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB249 Original → HB249 Act 74 · 3 edits
MINOR
This bill amends the law governing how the City Court of Alexandria uses money collected from civil cases. It clarifies that these funds can be used for court operational expenses without needing approval from the Rapides Parish Police Jury and can supplement clerk salaries with mutual consent from both the judge and the Parish Police Jury. Additionally, it repeals sunset provisions from a previous 2023 act that would have ended these rules on January 1, 2026.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on the City Court of Alexandria and its funding sources, but it removes the time limit on the current funding rules.
FISCAL

Removed the requirement for Rapides Parish Police Jury consent when using civil case costs for general court operational expenses.

Added a provision allowing costs to supplement clerk salaries with mutual consent from both the judge and the Rapides Parish Police Jury.

TIMELINE

Repealed sunset provisions that would have terminated the current funding rules on January 1, 2026.

Floor votes · Senate May 27, 2025 · House May 5, 2025

How they voted

36–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 38
May 27, 2025
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican27
25 Yea 2
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 20, 2025
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (13-0).
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jason DeWitt
Jason DeWitt
RRepublican
LA
25