ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 35
BY REPRESENTATIVE STAGNI
A RESOLUTION
To create the Task Force on Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Reform to study and
make recommendations regarding all aspects of the municipal fire and police civil
service system, including the promotion of employees of fire and police departments
and to provide a written report of findings and recommendations regarding the best
strategies and procedures for the administration of the system and the management
of such employees to the House of Representatives not later than sixty days prior to
the convening of the 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, Article X, Section 16 of the Constitution of Louisiana provides for a
system of classified fire and police civil service that is applicable to all municipalities having
a population exceeding thirteen thousand persons and operating a regularly paid fire and
police department and to all parishes and fire protection districts operating a regularly paid
fire department; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 33:2531 et seq. additionally provides for a system of classified fire
and police civil service that is applicable to all municipalities having a population of not less
than seven thousand persons and not more than thirteen thousand persons; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has enacted many bills over the years to
change the municipal fire and police civil service laws, and these changes have directly
impacted the employment of firemen and policemen throughout the state of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, many have taken a particular interest in amending the
municipal fire and police civil service laws relative to the promotion of firemen and
policemen; and
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WHEREAS, the current municipal fire and police civil service laws require the
municipal fire and police civil service board in each jurisdiction to establish and maintain
promotion and competitive employment lists containing the names of persons eligible for
appointment to various classes of positions in the classified service; and
WHEREAS, current provisions, relative to the promotion employment list, generally
require the names of persons attaining a passing score on a promotion test to be placed on
the promotion employment list for the class for which they were tested, from highest to
lowest, according to their total departmental seniority; and
WHEREAS, departmental seniority means the total employment computed for an
employee beginning with the last date on which he was regularly and permanently appointed
and has worked continuously, to and including the date of computation; and
WHEREAS, the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs has
heard several bills during recent legislative sessions that provide exceptions to the general
provisions, including bills that require the names of persons to be placed on the promotion
employment list, from highest to lowest, according to their total promotional seniority; and
WHEREAS, promotional seniority means the total cumulative employment in a class
of positions of the next lower class from which a promotion is to be made; and
WHEREAS, concern is growing among those in the fire protection and law
enforcement ranks regarding the many exceptions being made for multiple jurisdictions as
it is argued that the lack of consistency threatens the long-term viability of fire and police
departments; and
WHEREAS, many believe that due to expanding fire protection and law enforcement
responsibilities and decreasing resources, maintaining a highly qualified and motivated
workforce has become one of the greatest challenges facing fire protection and law
enforcement agencies today; and
WHEREAS, the stakeholders have expressed interest in making changes in the
municipal fire and police civil service system particularly with regard to promotions within
the system, but have also expressed their desire that a compromise agreement be put forth
by those who are proposing changes to the system and those who are opposed to such
changes.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby create the Task Force on Municipal Fire and Police
Civil Service Reform to study and make recommendations regarding all aspects of the
municipal fire and police civil service system, including the promotion of employees of fire
and police departments and to report its findings and recommendations regarding the best
strategies and procedures for the administration of the system and the management of such
employees to the House of Representatives not later than sixty days prior to convening of
the 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following members:
(1)The chairman of the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs
or his designee.
(2)The chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs or his
designee.
(3)The chairman of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice or
his designee.
(4)The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B or his designee.
(5)The president of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police or his designee.
(6)The president of the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police or his designee.
(7)The president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO or his designee.
(8)The executive director of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association or his
designee.
(9)The president of the Baton Rouge Union of Police or his designee.
(10)The state examiner for the Louisiana Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service or his
designee.
(11)The president of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of Louisiana or his
designee.
(12)The president of the Louisiana Municipal Association or his designee.
(13)The president of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association or his designee.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chairman of the House Committee on
Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs or his designee shall call the first meeting of the
task force, and the meeting shall be held no later than August 1, 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at the first meeting the members shall elect a
chairman and a vice chairman.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all designees shall be named no later than July
1, 2020.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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