HLS 19RS-825 ENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 502
BY REPRESENTATIVE EDMONDS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
COURTS/FAMILY: Provides relative to the collection and distribution of court costs by
the clerk of court for the Nineteenth Judicial District
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:996.3(B) and to enact R.S. 13:996.3(C), relative to the
3 collection and distribution of court costs by the clerk of court for the Nineteenth
4 Judicial District; to provide for distribution of costs into the judicial expense fund for
5 the Family Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge; to authorize the inspection of
6 records; to require the distribution of reimbursed expenses; to authorize the
7 collection of installment payments; and to provide for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 13:996.3(B) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 13:996.3(C)
10is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 ยง996.3. Judicial expense fund for the Family Court for the parish of East Baton
12 Rouge; established; disbursements
13 * * *
14 B.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, prior to
15 distributing funds to any other account, The the clerk of court shall each month place
16 all sums collected or received under this Section in a separate account to be
17 designated as the Judicial Expense Fund for the Family Court for the parish of East
18 Baton Rouge and submit to the Family Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge a
19 full accounting of all fees distributed into the fund. The judges, en banc, of the
20 Family Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge shall have control over the fund and
21 all disbursements made therefrom. They shall cause to be conducted annually an
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HB NO. 502
1 audit of the fund and the books and accounts relating thereto, and shall file the same
2 with the office of the legislative auditor, where it shall be available for public
3 inspection.
4 (2) The judges, en banc, of the Family Court for the parish of East Baton
5 Rouge may cause to be conducted inspections of the clerk of court's books and
6 records regarding the collection and receipt of all sums under this Section.
7 (3) The clerk of court shall place in the Judicial Expense Fund for the Family
8 Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge reimbursement for any administrative
9 expenses incurred by the Family Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge associated
10 with proceedings conducted pursuant to R.S. 46:2134.
11 C. The clerk of court of the Nineteenth Judicial District may collect
12 installment payments for court costs. Once the sum referenced in Subsection A of
13 this Section has been collected, that sum shall be transferred to the Judicial Expense
14 Fund for the Family Court without the entire balance of court costs being completely
15 collected.
16 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
17signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
18by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
19vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
20effective on the day following such approval.
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 502 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session Edmonds
Abstract: Requires the clerk of court of the 19th Judicial District to distribute funds to the
Judicial Expense Fund for the Family Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge on
a monthly basis with a full accounting, and to reimburse the Court for expenses
incurred in association with domestic violence cases. Authorizes the Court to inspect
the clerk's records.
Present law (R.S. 13:996.3) provides that for all cases on the docket of the Family Court for
the parish of East Baton Rouge, the clerk of court of the 19th Judicial District shall collect
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HB NO. 502
a fee of up to $25 to be payable to the Family Court. The clerk shall place such sums
collected or received in a Judicial Expense Fund for the Family Court.
Proposed law requires the clerk of court to distribute those funds once a month prior to the
distribution of funds to any other account and provide an accounting of all funds distributed.
Proposed law authorizes the clerk of court to collect installment payments for court costs,
and requires the sums collected to be transferred to the Judicial Expense Fund for the Family
Court.
Proposed law authorizes the clerk of court of the 19th Judicial District to collect installment
payments for such costs.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 13:996.3(B); Adds R.S. 13:996.3(C))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to the original
bill:
1. Make technical changes.
2. Allow the sums collected pursuant to present law to be transferred to the Judicial
Expense Fund without the entire balance of the court costs being collected.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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