DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 400 Original 2019 Regular Session McMahen
Abstract: Provides relative to employment lists maintained by municipal fire and police civil
service boards and tests given by the state examiner.
Present constitution creates a fire and police civil service system applicable to municipalities of over
13,000 in population and parishes and fire protection districts. Provides that the system is subject
to Art. XIV, ยง15.1 of the 1921 Constitution made statutory by the 1974 Constitution.
Present law creates and provides for two fire and police civil service systems: (1) one applicable to
any municipality which operates paid police and fire departments and which has a population of not
fewer than 13,000 persons; and (2) one applicable to any parish, fire protection district, or
municipality with a population of fewer than 13,000, but not fewer than 7,000 persons.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law, relative to both systems, provides that a municipal fire and police civil service board
is created in the municipal, parish, and fire protection government. Provides that admission to tests
for promotional and competitive positions is provided by the board through the state examiner.
Requires that applicants admitted to tests be U.S. citizens and of legal age.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law authorizes the state examiner to call for and administer competitive examinations for
the entrance classifications of firefighter, police officer, and for the entrance classes for which the
operation and maintenance of a radio, alarm, or signal system for the fire or police service is the
primary duty.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally authorizes the state examiner to call for and
administer competitive examinations for entrance jailer and clerical classes encompassing secretary
to the chief and departmental records clerk.
Present law requires the board to establish and maintain employment lists containing the names of
persons eligible for appointment to various classes of positions in the classified service. Provides
that the name of a person who has attained a passing score on an examination administered by the
state examiner for entrance police officer, entrance firefighter or for the entrance classes for which
the operation and maintenance of radio, alarm, or signal systems is the primary duty may be placed
on the employment list of any municipality, parish, or fire protection district, provided the person's application and score are accepted by the board of the respective jurisdiction.
Proposed law retains present law and adds entrance jailer and clerical classes encompassing secretary
to the chief and departmental records clerk to the list of names that may be placed on an employment
list in any jurisdiction, subject to present law limitations. Provides that the names of applicants for
secretary to the chief and departmental records clerk may be placed on the list for either class.
(Amends R.S. 33:2491(I), 2492(2) and (7), 2493(C), 2551(9), 2552(2) and (7), and 2553(C))