RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 275 (SB 165) 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. Prior law created and provided 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.
Prior 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.
New law retains prior constitution and present law for application for the operation and
maintenance of any radio, fire alarm, or other signal system. Further provides for the
exclusion of supervision positions from competitive testing.
New law retains present constitution and prior law for a municipality having a population
between 198,000 and 200,000 according to the most recent decennial census.
Effective upon signature of the governor (June 11, 2019).
(Amends Const. 1921, Art. XIV, Sec. 15.1(22)(g)(4) and R.S. 33:2492(7)(d) and 2552(7)(d))