RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 196 (HB 577) 2020 Regular Session Goudeau
Existing constitution creates a fire and police civil service system applicable to
municipalities of over 13,000 in 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. Existing 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.
Existing law, relative to both systems, provides that a municipal fire and police civil service
board is created in the parish, municipal, and fire protection district government. Requires
the board to establish and maintain promotion employment lists containing the names of
persons eligible for promotion in the classified service. Requires that names of persons
attaining a passing score on a promotion test be placed on the list ranked according to
departmental seniority. Provides that "departmental seniority" refers to the period of
continuous employment in the department.
Existing law requires that vacant positions that cannot be filled by reinstatement or
reemployment be filled by promoting the person on the promotion list with the greatest
departmental seniority. Existing law provides exceptions for specific police departments.
New law provides an additional exception, applicable to the police departments of Broussard,
Carencro, Scott, and Youngsville, to the requirement that the person with greatest
departmental seniority be promoted. Requires the appointing authority in those
municipalities to appoint a person who is among the three highest in departmental seniority
on the promotion list.
Effective Aug. 1, 2020.
(Adds R.S. 33:2494(C)(5) and 2554(C)(3))