Louisiana 2018 2018 Regular Session

Louisiana Senate Bill SB390 Comm Sub / Analysis

                    The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Martha S. Hess.
DIGEST
SB 390 Engrossed	2018 Regular Session	Claitor
Present law provides that in any judgment rendered in any suit filed against the state, a state agency,
or any compromise reached in favor of the plaintiff or plaintiffs in any such suit shall be exigible,
payable, and paid only out of funds appropriated for that purpose by the legislature, if the suit was
filed against the state or a state agency.
Proposed law retains present law but to the extent that final nonappealable judgments or
compromises cannot be paid from the Self-Insurance Fund, any appropriated funds made available
to pay final such judgments or compromises shall be allocated in the following order:
(1)First, lawsuits which are compromised when the amount to be paid by the state per lawsuit
is less than $100,000, including judicial interest, with the oldest compromises being paid
first.
(2)Second, lawsuits which have a final nonappealable judgment when the amount the state is
cast in judgment per lawsuit is an amount less than $100,000, including judicial interest, with
the oldest judgments being paid first.
(3) Third, lawsuits which are compromised when the amount to be paid by the state per lawsuit
is between $100,000, including judicial interest, and $250,000, including judicial interest,
with the oldest compromises being paid first.
(4)Fourth, lawsuits which have a final nonappealable judgment when the total amount the state
is cast in judgment is between $100,000, including judicial interest, and $250,000, including
judicial interest, with the oldest judgments being paid first.
(5)Fifth, lawsuits which are compromised when the amount to be paid by the state per lawsuit
is in excess of $250,000, including judicial interest, with the oldest compromises being paid
first.
(6) Sixth, lawsuits which have a final nonappealable judgment when the total amount the state
is cast in judgment is in excess of $250,000, including judicial interest, with the oldest
judgments being paid first.
Proposed law further provides that the state agency or department which is found to be at fault shall
pay five percent of the judgment from its appropriated funds.
Proposed law also authorizes the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget to allow changes to the
order set forth in proposed law on a case-by-case basis.  
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 13:5109(B)(3)-(5))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the original bill
1. Provides that proposed law does not apply to judgments or compromises that can be
paid from the Self-Insurance Fund.
2. Clarifies that all of the dollar amounts include judicial interest.