COURTS/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Directs the La. State Law Institute to study the justice of peace courts in Louisiana
HR 149 directs the Louisiana State Law Institute to collect data on the funding methods and expenditures of justice of peace courts, along with their operations. This bill does not change court procedures or create new laws but focuses solely on gathering specific operational and financial information. The data collected will inform future legislative decisions about these courts, which handle minor civil and criminal cases at the local level. The bill is procedural, requiring only research, not policy implementation.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced May 12, 2025
Last action May 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
HR149 Original
→
HR149 Engrossed
·
3 edits
·
May 27, 2025
MINOR
The bill was amended to remove the goal of abolishing justice of the peace and city courts, shifting the focus from elimination to data collection. The resolution now directs the Louisiana State Law Institute to gather information on funding methods and expenditures rather than assessing the necessity of keeping the courts open or planning their removal. This change reflects a policy decision to study the financial operations of these courts without immediately pursuing their elimination.
Scope change
The bill's scope narrowed from a study on court abolition and continued existence to a study focused solely on data collection regarding jurisdiction, costs, savings, funding methods, and expenditures.
SCOPE
Removed all references to abolishing the courts, the need for their continued existence, and the process for abolition.
REQUIREMENT
Added specific instructions to collect data on the method of funding and expenditures for the courts.
Changed the Institute's output requirement from providing recommendations to simply providing a report based on the collected data.
Floor votes · House May 28, 2025
How they voted
70–19
Passed · 13 other
Total votes 102
May 28, 2025
D
Democratic31
58% Yea
R
Republican71
73% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
10
Key actions
2
Committee
2
May 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read by title, roll called, yeas 73, nays 19. The resolution was adopted.
lower
May 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (7-6-1).
lower
May 13, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Dixon McMakin
RRepublican
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