HB 177 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

COURTS/COURT REPORTERS: Excludes court reporters from the two-year waiting period for rehiring relative to termination of public service (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 177 (Louisiana) modifies state law to allow retired court reporters in judicial districts or city courts to be immediately rehired without waiting the standard two-year period after retirement or termination. The bill specifically adds a provision (R.S. 42:1121(K)) stating retired court reporters can be hired on a contractual basis or reemployed with the same court at any time after leaving public service. It directly affects court reporters who previously faced a mandatory waiting period before returning to court employment. The change removes this barrier, enabling immediate rehiring without requiring a two-year gap.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Signed May 29, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB177 Original → HB177 Act 532 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends the law regarding assistance after termination of public service in Louisiana. It removes the two-year waiting period that previously prevented retired court reporters from being rehired or working contractually for their former courts. The change allows former official court reporters to immediately render services to their former employers after retirement or leaving employment, while maintaining restrictions for other public employees.

Scope change

The bill narrows the scope of the general two-year prohibition on former public employees assisting others for compensation. It creates a specific exception for former official court reporters, allowing them to bypass the waiting period while the restriction remains in effect for all other public servants.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the two-year waiting period restriction that prevented retired court reporters from being rehired or working contractually for their former courts.

Added a specific exception allowing former official court reporters to render services on a contractual basis to their former public employer immediately after termination of public service.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the statutory citation from R.S. 42:1121(K) to R.S. 42:1121(B)(4) to reflect the new subsection within the existing statute.

Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House Mar 30, 2026

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

May 26, 2026

D Democratic12

10 Yea 2

83% Yea

R Republican28

28 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 26, 2026

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 21, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

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

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (14-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors