SLS 24RS-4405 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 165
BY SENATOR BARROW
COURTS. Requests the Senate Committee on Finance to study court costs in suits involving
the state and political subdivisions in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To authorize and request the Senate Committee on Finance, or a subcommittee thereof, to
3 study and make recommendations on court costs in suits involving the state and
4 political subdivisions in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court prior to the convening
5 of the 2025 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
6 WHEREAS, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court serves as the state district court
7 in the capital of Louisiana, handling litigation involving state agencies included in R.S.
8 36:4(A) as well as many other state and local governmental entities; and
9 WHEREAS, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court stands apart from other district
10 courts in that it is the proper venue for the majority of suits filed by or against the state of
11 Louisiana or any state agency under the provisions of R.S. 13:5104; and
12 WHEREAS, although these suits filed by the state or any state agency require the
13 same handling as any other civil suit filing, the state as a filing party does not pay any
14 advanced costs based upon the provisions of R.S. 13:4521; and
15 WHEREAS, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court is burdened with the expenses
16 associated with a proceeding until such a time, which is indeterminable or may never occur,
17 that there is a resolution to the proceeding; and
18 WHEREAS, each year the state accrues an additional debt owed to the Nineteenth
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SLS 24RS-4405 ORIGINAL
1 Judicial District Court of approximately $725,000; and
2 WHEREAS, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court has on record over $3.4 million
3 in unpaid filing costs, an annual average of $678,032, related to litigation involving state
4 agencies; and
5 WHEREAS, the overall outstanding balance for unpaid advanced costs owed by the
6 state presently exceeds $7 million based upon a review of the past ten years; and
7 WHEREAS, it is a priority to establish the full amount of the expenses that the
8 Nineteenth Judicial District Court absorbs from proceedings filed by the state and political
9 subdivisions; and
10 WHEREAS, it is imperative to identify a dedicated funding source to defray the costs
11 associated with these proceedings and compensate the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.
12 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
13 does hereby authorize and request the Senate Committee on Finance, or a subcommittee
14 thereof, to study and make recommendations on court costs in suits involving the state and
15 political subdivisions in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court prior to the convening of the
16 2025 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
18 Nineteenth Judicial District Court.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Curry Lann.
DIGEST
SR 165 Original 2024 Regular Session Barrow
Requests the Senate Committee on Finance, or a subcommittee thereof, to study and make
recommendations on court costs in suits involving the state and political subdivisions in the
Nineteenth Judicial District Court prior to the convening of the 2025 Regular Session of the
Legislature of Louisiana.
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