HLS 24RS-2106 REENGROSSED 2024 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 905 BY REPRESENTATIVES FREIBERG, BAYHAM, BEAULLIEU, BERAULT, BILLINGS, BOYD, CARVER, CHASSION, COX, DAVIS, DEWITT, DOMANGUE, FISHER, GREEN, HILFERTY, HUGHES, ILLG, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON, TRAVIS JOHNSON, JORDAN, LAFLEUR, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MILLER, MOORE, MYERS, RISER, SELDERS, STAGNI, TAYLOR, WALTERS, WYBLE, AND ZERINGUE JURY DUTY: Permits jurors to donate their per diem compensation to the Capital Area Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) 1 AN ACT 2To enact R.S. 13:3049.2, relative to juror per diem compensation in the Nineteenth Judicial 3 District Court; to establish a two-year pilot program that enables jurors to voluntarily 4 donate their per diem compensation to certain organizations; to provide for the use 5 of donations; to exempt certain information from public records; and to provide for 6 related matters. 7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 8 Section 1. R.S. 13:3049.2 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 9 ยง3049.2. Nineteenth Judicial District; pilot program; donation of juror per diem; 10 procedures 11 A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any person serving 12 as a juror in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court may elect to donate their entire 13 juror per diem compensation to an organization that meets either of the following 14 criteria: 15 (1) Formally recognized under Children's Code Article 424 for its role in 16 advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system. Page 1 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 24RS-2106 REENGROSSED HB NO. 905 1 (2) Specifically designated as the Capital Area Court Appointed Special 2 Advocates (CASA). 3 B. The clerk of court for the Nineteenth Judicial District Court shall provide 4 each juror with an option to donate their per diem compensation to the designated 5 organization as described in Subsection A of this Section at the time of juror 6 orientation or at another appropriate time during the juror service process. The 7 option to donate shall be voluntary and presented in a manner that ensures informed 8 consent of the juror. 9 C. The clerk of court shall establish procedures for the collection and timely 10 distribution of donated per diem compensations to the designated organization. 11 These procedures shall include provisions for donor acknowledgment and 12 compliance with financial management standards. A form shall be presented to each 13 person registered for the jury pool which provides the mission of CASA and offers 14 the jurors the voluntary option to assign all fees due them as a tax-deductible 15 donation to CASA. 16 D. The pilot program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court is established 17 as a voluntary option for jurors to support a court-related nonprofit organization with 18 the Nineteenth Judicial District Court Jury Office facilitating the consolidation of 19 individual juror payments into a monthly payment to CASA. The Juror Office shall 20 send a monthly check to CASA and provide the list of the names, addresses, and 21 amounts for participating jurors to allow CASA to mail a tax-deductible receipt for 22 their donation. Information provided by the Juror Office to CASA shall remain 23 confidential and not subject to disclosure under the public records law. 24 E.(1) CASA shall be designated exclusively for donations due to its 25 court-related advocacy and purpose during the two-year pilot program. 26 (2) A designated organization receiving donations under this Section shall 27 utilize the donations exclusively for supporting its mission within the jurisdiction of 28 the Nineteenth Judicial District. Page 2 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 24RS-2106 REENGROSSED HB NO. 905 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 905 Reengrossed 2024 Regular Session Freiberg Abstract: Establishes a pilot program for donations of juror per diem in the 19th JDC. Proposed law allows jurors in the 19th JDC to donate their per diem compensation in whole or in part to an organization that is either (1) formally recognized under Ch.C. Art. 424 for its role in advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system, or (2) specifically designated as Capital Area Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Proposed law requires the clerk of court for the 19th JDC to provide each juror an option to donate the per diem compensation to the organizations provided by proposed law during jury orientation or the juror service process. Proposed law requires the clerk of court for the 19th JDC to establish procedures for the collection and timely distribution of donated per diem compensation to the designated organization. Proposed law requires that the procedures for the collection and timely distribution of donated per diem compensation to the designated organization include provisions for donor acknowledgment and compliance with financial management standards. Proposed law also requires a form distributed to each person registered for the jury pool that has the mission of CASA and the voluntary option to assign fees due to them as a tax- deductible donation to the organization. Proposed law provides for the purpose of the program and requires the Juror Office of the 19th JDC to send a monthly check of individual juror payments to CASA along with the names, addresses, and amounts donated of the individual juror for a mailed tax-deductible receipt. Proposed law also provides that any information provided to CASA by the Juror Office shall remain confidential and not subject to disclosure under the public records law. Proposed law requires that CASA be designated exclusively for the per diem donations during the two-year pilot program. Proposed law also provides that donations made to the designated organization pursuant to proposed law shall be utilized exclusively for supporting its mission within the jurisdiction of the 19th JDC. (Adds R.S. 13:3049.2) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill: 1. Make technical amendments. 2. Authorize the entire juror per diem to be donated. 3. Specify that information provided to CASA shall remain confidential. Page 3 of 3 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.