RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 218 (HB 441) 2022 Regular Session Stefanski
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 "departmental seniority" refers to the
period of continuous employment in the department. Defines "promotional seniority" to
mean the total cumulative employment in a class of positions of the next lower class from
which a promotion is to be made. Specifies further relative to employment counted toward
seniority in the next lower class.
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 employment lists containing the names of persons eligible
for appointment to various classes of positions in the classified service. Requires that names
of persons attaining a passing score on a promotion test be placed on the promotion
employment list for the tested class, from highest to lowest, according to departmental
seniority.
Existing law requires that vacant positions be filled by reinstatement or reemployment. If
the position cannot be filled in this manner, then the position must be filled by the person on
the promotion list with the greatest departmental seniority. Existing law provides exceptions
for certain police departments, including a specific exception for police departments in the
cities of Broussard, Carencro, Scott, and Youngsville. Existing law requires the appointing
authorities in those cities to select and appoint to any vacancy a person who is among the
three highest in departmental seniority.
New law makes existing law exception for the cities of Broussard, Carencro, Scott, and
Youngsville applicable to the police department in the city of Rayne.
Effective August 1 2022.
(Amends R.S. 33:2554(C)(3)(intro. para.)