HLS 20RS-395 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 500
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAGLEY
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS: Provides relative to fees for pretrial programs in DeSoto Parish
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 16:17(E) and to enact R.S. 16:18, relative to pretrial diversion
3 or intervention programs in DeSoto Parish; to provide for the assessment of a
4 reasonable fee; to provide for the disbursement of the proceeds of such fee; and to
5 provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 16:17(E) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 16:18 is enacted
8to read as follows:
9 §17. Victims assistance program; creation
10 * * *
11 E. The Except in DeSoto Parish, the district attorney may assess and collect
12 a reasonable fee from participants in pretrial diversion or pretrial intervention
13 programs to support and maintain victims assistance and/or diversionary programs.
14 §18. Pretrial diversion in DeSoto Parish; disbursement of fees
15 A district attorney may assess a reasonable fee to a participant in a pretrial
16 diversion or pretrial intervention program operated in DeSoto Parish. This fee shall
17 be paid to the sheriff and shall be disbursed as follows:
18 (1) Twenty-eight percent to the criminal court fund.
19 (2) Eighteen percent to the office of the district public defender.
20 (3) Twelve percent to the office of the district attorney.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 20RS-395 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 500
1 (4) Twelve percent to the criminalistics laboratory which performs the
2 majority of crime lab services for the district.
3 (5) Eight percent to the sheriff's general fund.
4 (6) Eight percent to the juror and witness fee fund.
5 (7) Five percent to the clerk of court.
6 (8) Four percent to the juvenile detention fund.
7 (9) Four percent to the judicial expense fund.
8 (10) One percent to the state treasury to be deposited into the Traumatic
9 Head and Spinal Cord Injury Fund.
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 500 Original 2020 Regular Session Bagley
Abstract: Requires the disbursement of a reasonable fee for participation in pretrial
programs to specific entities in DeSoto Parish.
Present law authorizes a district attorney to assess and collect a reasonable fee from
participants in pretrial diversion or pretrial intervention programs. Provides that such fees
are to be used to support and maintain victims assistance programs, diversionary programs,
or both.
Proposed law retains present law, but requires, in DeSoto Parish, that the fees be disbursed
in various percentages to the criminal court fund, the office of the district public defender,
the office of the district attorney, the criminalistics laboratory which performs the majority
of crime lab services for the district, the sheriff's general fund, the juror and witness fee fund,
the clerk of court, the juvenile detention fund, the judicial expense fund, and the Traumatic
Head and Spinal Cord Injury Fund.
(Amends R.S. 16:17(E); Adds R.S. 16:18)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.