HLS 25RS-1081 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 18
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
INDIGENT DEFENSE: Creates a task force to study funding mechanisms for the office of
the state public defender
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To create a task force to study and evaluate stable and sufficient funding mechanisms for the
3 office of the state public defender.
4 WHEREAS, the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees an
5accused person the right to have the assistance of counsel for his defense; and
6 WHEREAS, in 1963, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v.
7Wainwright that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a fundamental right applied to the
8states through the Fourteenth Amendment and requires that indigent criminal defendants be
9provided counsel at trial; and
10 WHEREAS, Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution of Louisiana provides that at
11"each stage of the proceedings, every person is entitled to assistance of counsel of his choice,
12or appointed by the court if he is indigent and charged with an offense punishable by
13imprisonment"; and
14 WHEREAS, in 2007, the Louisiana Legislature enacted the Public Defender Act
15(R.S. 15:141 et seq.) to create a uniform system for securing and compensating qualified
16counsel for indigents; and
17 WHEREAS, R.S. 15:167 provides for the Louisiana Public Defender Fund and
18further provides for how monies in the fund are to be appropriated and administered; and
19 WHEREAS, a sustainable source of funding for the office of the state public
20defender ensures that sufficient resources are provided and continuous legal services are
21rendered to persons who are indigent.
Page 1 of 3 HLS 25RS-1081 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 18
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
2create a task force to study and evaluate stable and sufficient funding mechanisms for the
3office of the state public defender.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
5following members:
6 (1) The chairwoman of the House Committee on Criminal Justice, or her designee.
7 (2) The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, or his designee.
8 (3) An elected member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker.
9 (4) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, or his designee.
10 (5) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary C, or his designee.
11 (6) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, or his designee.
12 (7) An elected member of the Senate, appointed by the president.
13 (8) The state public defender, or his designee.
14 (9) A justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
15 (10) The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, or his
16designee.
17 (11) A member appointed by the governor.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the initial meeting of the task force shall take
19place no later than August 11, 2025.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of the state public defender shall
21provide staff support to the task force.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall issue a report of its findings
23and recommendations no later than December 31, 2025.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit one print copy and
25one electronic copy of any report produced pursuant to this Resolution to the David R.
26Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by R.S. 24:772.
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HCR NO. 18
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)]
HCR 18 Original 2025 Regular Session Bayham
Creates a task force to study and evaluate stable and sufficient funding mechanisms for the
office of the state public defender.
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