SLS 19RS-117 ENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 165
BY SENATOR COLOMB
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
MUNICIPALITIES. Provides relative to promotional and competitive tests provided by
municipal fire and police civil service boards. (2/3 - CA10s18) (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact Subparagraph (g)(4) of Paragraph 22 of Article XIV, Section 15.1 of
3 the 1921 Louisiana Constitution, as amended, continued as a statute pursuant to
4 Article X, Section 18 of the 1974 Louisiana Constitution, and R.S. 33:2492(7)(d) and
5 2552(7)(d), relative to fire and police civil service boards; to provide relative to the
6 administration of tests by the state examiner; to provide for an exception; and to
7 provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Subparagraph (g)(4) of Paragraph 22 of Article XIV, Section 15.1 of the
10 1921 Louisiana Constitution, continued as a statute pursuant to the provisions of Article X,
11 Section 18 of the 1974 Louisiana Constitution is hereby amended and reenacted to read as
12 follows:
13 §15.1. Fire and police civil service; municipalities of 13,000 to 250,000
14 * * *
15 22. Tests. Tests to determine the eligibility of applicants for entry upon the
16 promotional and competitive employment lists shall be provided, as follows:
17 * * *
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 165
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1 g. Competitive tests shall be held only as the needs of the service require and
2 shall be given for classes comprising only the following duties or positions:
3 * * *
4 (4) Operation, Except for the city of Shreveport Fire Department,
5 operation and maintenance, and supervision of radio, fire alarm, police alarm, and
6 other signal systems.
7 * * *
8 Section 2. R.S. 33:2492(7)(d) and 2552(7)(d) are hereby amended and reenacted to
9 read as follows:
10 §2492. Tests
11 * * *
12 (7) Competitive tests shall be held only as the needs of the service require
13 and shall be given for classes comprising only the following duties or positions:
14 * * *
15 (d) Operation, Except for the city of Shreveport Fire Department,
16 operation and maintenance, and supervision of radio, fire alarm, police alarm, and
17 other signal systems.
18 * * *
19 §2552. Tests
20 * * *
21 (7) Competitive tests shall be held only as the needs of the service require and
22 shall be given for classes comprising only the following duties or positions:
23 * * *
24 (d) Operation, Except for the city of Shreveport Fire Department,
25 operation and maintenance, and supervision of radio, fire alarm, and other signal
26 systems.
27 * * *
28 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
29 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 165
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1 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
2 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
3 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Michael Bell.
DIGEST
SB 165 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session Colomb
Present constitution creates a fire and police civil service system applicable to municipalities
of over 13,000 population and parishes and fire protection districts. Provides that the system
is subject to Art. XIV, §15.1 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. Present constitution authorizes modifications to such systems
(by law adopted by 2/3 of each house of the legislature in the case of provisions of Art. XIV,
§15.1 of the 1921 Constitution made statutory by the Constitution of 1974) but prohibits the
legislature from abolishing the system or making it inapplicable to covered jurisdictions.
Present law, relative to both systems, provides that promotional tests for positions in the
various classes in the classified service, except those classes in which positions shall be
filled only from the competitive list, may be held as the needs of the service require.
Proposed law retains present constitution and present law except that it clarifies that
competitive tests shall be limited to only entrance level positions in the operation and
maintenance of any radio, fire alarm, or other signal system. Further provides for the
exclusion of supervision positions from competitive testing.
Proposed law provides an exception for the Shreveport Fire Department.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends La. Const. 1921, Art. XIV, Sec. 15.1(22)(g)(4) and R.S. 33:2492(7)(d) and
33:2552(7)(d))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Local and Municipal
Affairs to the original bill
1. Adds an exception for the Shreveport Fire Department.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.