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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 150
BY REPRESENTATIVE PUGH
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to
study the impact of filling vacancies in certain positions in the classified police
service on a competitive basis through the selection and appointment of a person
with one of the five highest test scores and to report its findings to the House of
Representatives prior to the convening of the 2013 Regular Session of the
Legislature of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Article X, Section 16 of the Constitution of Louisiana establishes a
system of classified fire and police civil service in each municipality having a population
exceeding thirteen thousand and operating a regularly paid fire and municipal police
department and in each parish and fire protection district operating a regularly paid fire
department; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 33:2471 and 2531 et seq. establish classified civil service systems
for policemen and firemen employed in municipalities with a population of not less than
seven thousand and not more than two hundred fifty thousand persons according to the latest
federal decennial census and in all parishes and fire protection districts; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 33:2491 and 2551 require municipal fire and police civil service
boards to establish and maintain employment lists containing the names of persons eligible
for appointment to the various classes of positions in the classified service; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to R.S. 33:2491 and 2551, the names of persons attaining a
passing score on a promotion test must be placed upon the promotional employment list for
the class for which they were tested, from highest to lowest, according to their total seniority
in the departmental service and the names of persons attaining a passing score on a
competitive test must be placed upon the competitive employment list for the class for which
they were tested, from highest to lowest, according to their final test scores; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 150
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WHEREAS, R.S. 33:2494 and 2554 provide for filling vacancies in positions in the
classified fire and police civil service from promotional and competitive employment lists;
and
WHEREAS, pursuant to current law, an appointing authority is required to fill
vacancies in the classified police service for positions with the rank of sergeant, lieutenant,
captain, major, or commander from a promotional employment list and appointments are
granted to persons with the greatest seniority in the departmental service; and
WHEREAS, many argue that a better method would be to fill such vacancies on a
competitive basis from a list of eligibles as provided in R.S. 33:2491 and 2551 and that
appointments should be awarded to a person who has one of the five highest test scores; and
WHEREAS, many also argue that the right of selection and appointment for such
positions should be vested in the chief of police and subject to the approval of the appointing
authority.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the House Committee on Municipal,
Parochial and Cultural Affairs to study the impact of filling vacancies in certain positions
in the classified police service on a competitive basis through the selection and appointment
of a person with one of the five highest test scores.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall specifically solicit the input,
recommendations, and advice of those who can provide relevant information and suggestions
to the committee based on their expertise and experience, including but not limited to the
following:
(1) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police.
(2) A representative of the Baton Rouge Union of Police.
(3) A representative of the Louisiana Chapter of the AFL-CIO.
(4) A representative of the Louisiana Union of Police Association.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all departments, boards, agencies, officers, and
institutions of the state and all subdivisions thereof shall cooperate with the committee in
providing information to assist the committee in carrying out its responsibility pursuant to
this Resolution. ENROLLEDHR NO. 150
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall report the results of its study
and its recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the House of Representatives
of the Legislature of Louisiana by March 1, 2013.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES