HB 538

ENROLLED
 2026 Regular Session
  ACT No. 928
 HOUSE BILL NO. 538
 BY REPRESENTATIVE FREIBERG
1AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1631, relative to the judicial expense fund for the Juvenile
3Court of East Baton Rouge Parish; to modify relative to the chief judge and all
4judges of the court; to establish functions of the collective judges; to authorize the
5clerk of court to collect certain additional costs in civil and criminal nonsupport
6proceedings; to provide for the control, expenditure, and audit of monies in the
7judicial expense fund; to increase the civil filing fee; to prohibit payment of salaries
8from the judicial expense fund; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10Section 1. R.S. 13:1631 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11§1631. Judicial expense fund for the Juvenile Court for the parish of East Baton
12Rouge; established; disbursements
13A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the
14clerk of court of the Nineteenth Judicial District shall collect from every person
15filing any action, suit, or motion and rule to show cause on the docket of the Juvenile
16Court of East Baton Rouge Parish and who is not otherwise exempted exempt by law
17from the payment of court costs, a sum to be determined by the chief judge of the
18court, but judges of the court, sitting en banc, which sum shall not to exceed fifteen
19forty-five dollars, subject, however, to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure
20Article 5181 et seq.; and in all criminal nonsupport cases over which the court has
21jurisdiction, including contempt proceedings provided for by Children's Code Article
221353, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after
23trial or after plea of guilty or who forfeits his bond, a sum likewise determined, but
  Page 1 of 3
 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
 are additions.
 HB NO. 538  ENROLLED
1not to exceed ten dollars, which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or
2forfeitures lawfully imposed, and which shall be transmitted to the clerk for further
3disposition in accordance herewith with this Section.
4B. The clerk of court shall place all sums collected or received under
5pursuant to this Section in a separate account to be designated as the judicial expense
6fund for the Juvenile Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge. The chief judge of
7the court judges, en banc, of the Juvenile Court of East Baton Rouge Parish shall
8have control over the fund and all disbursements made therefrom. The chief judge
9The judges shall cause to be conducted annually an audit of the fund, and the books,
10and related accounts relating thereto and shall file the same a copy of the audit with
11the office of the legislative auditor, where it shall be available for public inspection.
12C. The chief judge judges, en banc, of the court Juvenile Court of East Baton
13Rouge Parish, in lieu of all or any part of the fees for reporting and transcribing
14testimony authorized under pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 13:961(F) or other
15applicable laws, and in addition to salaries otherwise provided, authorized, or
16established by law, may fix and pay each court reporter a salary from the judicial
17expense fund. The chief judge judges, en banc, may further appoint such secretarial,
18clerical, research, administrative, or other personnel necessary to expedite the
19business and function of the court and fix and pay all or any part of the salaries of
20such personnel out of the monies in the judicial expense fund. In like manner, the
21chief judge judges, en banc, may utilize the monies in the judicial expense fund to
22pay all or any part of the cost of establishing or maintaining a law library for the
23court, or for buying or maintaining any type of equipment, supplies, or other items
24consistent with or germane to the efficient operation of the court. In general, the
25judicial expense fund is established and may be used for any purpose or purposes
26connected with, incidental to, or related to the proper administration or functions of
27the court, or of the office offices of the individual judge judges, and is in addition to
28any and all other funds, salaries, expenses, or other monies authorized by law for any
29of these purposes.
  Page 2 of 3
 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
 are additions.
HB NO. 538  ENROLLED
1D. No salary shall be paid from the judicial expense fund to a judge of the
2court.
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
  Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.