SB 256: COURTS: Provides for a clerk of court in Orleans Parish. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX) - Louisiana

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1852, Morris, Jay, Adopted → SB256 Act · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill consolidates the clerk of court offices in Orleans Parish into a single position elected by the public, replacing the previous separate civil and criminal district court clerks. It establishes a new funding mechanism requiring a $4 fee per civil suit filed to support the clerk's supplemental compensation and creates a transition period to ensure current criminal court employees are not fired before January 15, 2027.

Scope change

The bill changes the scope from having two separate elected clerks (one for civil, one for criminal) to a single elected clerk for both courts, while also modifying how fees are collected and distributed.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated the requirement for separate elected clerks for the Civil District Court and Criminal District Court, replacing them with one unified elected clerk of court.

FISCAL

Created a new fee of $4 for every original civil suit filed in Orleans Parish to fund the Clerks' Supplemental Compensation Fund.

TIMELINE

Established a transition period prohibiting the discharge of current criminal district court employees until January 15, 2027, to facilitate the office consolidation.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated eligibility criteria for the Clerks of Court Certification program to include the newly consolidated clerk position.

SB256 Original → Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1852, Morris, Jay, Adopted · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to correct a statutory citation error, changing a reference from R.S. 39:1271 to R.S. 33:2955(A)(1). This technical fix ensures the legislation cites the correct legal authority for the clerk of court's duties, preventing potential legal confusion or invalidity. No substantive policy changes regarding funding, eligibility, or scope were introduced in this specific amendment.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a legal citation in the text from R.S. 39:1271 to R.S. 33:2955(A)(1) to align with the proper statutory authority.

SB256 Enrolled → SB256 Original · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from an enrolled version to an original draft, removing the final legislative text and replacing it with the initial proposal. The substantive policy content regarding the consolidation of the Orleans Parish clerk of court office remains the same, but the document no longer contains the specific statutory amendments that would have been enacted.

Scope change

The bill's scope is unchanged in terms of policy intent, but the document type changed from a finalized enrolled bill to an original draft, meaning the specific legal text for amendment is now in a preliminary state.

TECHNICAL

Removed the finalized statutory text and specific amendment instructions that were present in the enrolled version.

Added the original draft header and introductory language indicating this is the starting version of the bill.

Changed the page count and document metadata to reflect the original draft status rather than the enrolled final version.

SB256 Reengrossed → SB256 Enrolled · 4 edits · May 5, 2026

MODERATE

The bill transitioned from a 'Reengrossed' draft to the final 'Enrolled' version, incorporating specific statutory references and clarifying the consolidation of clerk duties in Orleans Parish. The primary substantive change involves updating the list of Revised Statutes (R.S.) to include new sections related to the Clerks' Supplemental Compensation Fund and adjusting fee remittance procedures for civil and criminal courts. These changes ensure the legal framework accurately reflects the current funding structure and administrative requirements for the consolidated clerk office.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined to explicitly include new statutory provisions governing the Clerks' Supplemental Compensation Fund and to clarify fee collection methods for both the Civil and Criminal District Courts within the consolidated office.

FISCAL

Added R.S. 13:761(C) and related sections to the list of statutes being amended, establishing the Clerks' Supplemental Compensation Fund and specifying that clerks must remit fees calculated at four dollars per original civil suit.

Updated fee remittance instructions to require clerks to transfer funds from the advance deposit account to the salary fund account for civil suits and to remit criminal court fees to the Criminal District Court Expense Fund.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the header from 'REENGROSSED' to 'ENROLLED' and updated the page count from 11 to 14, indicating the final version includes additional content or formatting adjustments.

REQUIREMENT

Revised the list of amended statutes to include R.S. 1338, 1381(21), 1381.5, 2515, 5971, and 1511.3, ensuring the bill covers all necessary legal provisions for the clerk's administration and compensation.

SB256 Engrossed → SB256 Reengrossed · 3 edits · Apr 8, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to correct formatting errors and update the status from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' after the Governor's signature. The substantive legal text regarding court clerk qualifications, salaries, and duties remains unchanged, though a new transition provision was inserted to allow for the discharge of certain criminal court employees by January 15, 2027.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court clerk, but a new transitional clause was added to facilitate the consolidation of the clerk's office with the Criminal District Court.

TIMELINE

The header status was changed from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' to reflect the bill's final passage.

A new provision was added allowing the clerk to discharge certain criminal court employees before January 15, 2027, to facilitate the transition to a consolidated office.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and line break adjustments were made throughout the document to correct layout issues.

COURTS: Provides for a clerk of court in Orleans Parish. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

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