RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 571 (HB 1137) 2016 Regular Session Mack
Existing law (R.S. 15:146) provides for the Louisiana Public Defender Board (LPDB).
Prior law provided that the board shall consist of fifteen members.
New law reduces the number of board members from 15 to 11 and provides relative to the
terms and appointment of these members.
Existing law (R.S. 15:147) provides that except for the inherent regulatory authority of the
Louisiana Supreme Court provided for in La. Const. Art. V, §5 regarding the regulation of
the practice of law, the LPDB shall have all regulatory authority, control, supervision, and
jurisdiction, including auditing and enforcement, and all power incidental or necessary to
such regulatory authority, control, supervision, and jurisdiction over all aspects of the
delivery of public defender services throughout the courts of the state of Louisiana.
Existing law (R.S. 15:167) provides for the creation of the Louisiana Public Defender Fund
and the composition of the fund, administration of the fund, and use of monies from the fund.
Existing law (R.S. 15:168) further provides for an indigent defender fund within each
judicial district to be administered by the district public defender.
New law retains these provisions of existing law and further provides that the board shall
dedicate and disburse at least 65% of the entirety of its annual budget and its funds in the
Louisiana Public Defender Fund each fiscal year to the district defender offices and their
indigent defender funds in the various judicial districts throughout the state.
New law provides that any funds disbursed to any district defender shall be paid in addition
to the minimum mandatory 65% of dedicated and disbursed funds required by new law.
Effective August 1, 2016.
(Amends R.S. 15:146; Adds R.S. 15:162(I), 166, and 167(E))