The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Michael Bell.
DIGEST
SB 165 Original 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.
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))