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LouisianaSB 2562026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

COURTS: Provides for a clerk of court in Orleans Parish. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

Sponsored By: John C. "Jay" Morris (Republican)

Signed by Governor

JudiciaryJudiciary A

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Orleans clerk workers get transition protections

Workers employed by the criminal district clerk when the relevant section takes effect receive temporary job protection. The combined clerk cannot fire them before January 15, 2027, except for good cause. Good cause includes insubordination or breaking state or federal law. Transfers to the combined office cannot occur before January 15, 2027. The clerk can use unrestricted office funds for temporary transition workers or contractors through June 30, 2027.

Clerk revenues fund Orleans office operations

Orleans clerk fees, investment interest, and other clerk-generated money go into the parish clerk’s expense fund. The fund can pay only the clerk office’s operating costs. After a qualifying criminal prosecution ends, $2 in proceeds goes to the parish clerk. When a municipality handles the prosecution, that $2 goes to its city or municipal clerk instead. The $2 rule redirects proceeds and does not create a new household payment.

Local funds pay Orleans clerk compensation

The Clerk’s Salary Fund pays the Orleans clerk’s population-based salary, using the latest United States census. The Judicial Expense Fund pays an additional $10,000 in salary instead of the state. The clerk can also receive an expense allowance from the salary fund, capped at 10% of annual salary. These are public-office payments, not household benefits.

One elected clerk serves Orleans Parish

The law combines Orleans Parish’s civil and criminal district court clerk offices under one elected clerk. The criminal district clerk’s office ends at the close of May 3, 2026, without shortening the current clerk’s term. Its duties, records, money, and property immediately transfer to the civil district clerk, renamed the Orleans Parish clerk of court. Parish voters elect the clerk for four years, starting the first Monday in May after the election. Legal references to the former office, including election and ethics procedures, now point to the combined office.

Orleans court filing and copying fees

The Orleans clerk can charge one lump-sum fee for initial pleadings instead of separate document fees. Civil district judges set the amount, which can differ for plaintiffs and defendants; payment is due at initial filing. Copies, certificates, and seal-related copies carry a charge of $0.60 per 100 words. After required deductions, at least 40% of applicable fees goes to the Clerk’s Salary Fund and 60% to the Judicial Expense Fund. The judicial fund’s share is due by the 25th of the following month.

Civil suit funds support clerk compensation

District court clerks must send $4 for each original civil suit to the Clerks’ Supplemental Compensation Fund. Outside Orleans, the money comes from advance deposits transferred to clerk salary accounts. Orleans pays from its Civil District Court Judicial Expense Fund. Payments to the board are due by the tenth day of each month. This directs existing court funds and does not itself create a new household payment.

Orleans court staffing and pay change

The Orleans clerk can appoint deputies and assistants without civil judges’ approval and remove them, subject to transition protections. Each civil and criminal district judge must have one sworn deputy minute clerk, subject to that court’s rules. The fund’s executive committee can set minute-clerk salaries; current city salaries continue until it confirms enough money is available. City payments for court reporters and minute clerks remain at the amounts provided on July 1, 2026. Beginning July 1, 2027, the Consolidated Judicial Expense Fund for Orleans Parish pays amounts previously covered by the state. The city needs Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approval to cut constitutional officers’ funding, including staff salaries and maintenance.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • John C. "Jay" Morris

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 88 • No: 39

House vote • 4/23/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 63, nays 28. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 63 • No: 28

Senate vote • 4/8/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 25 yeas and 11 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 25 • No: 11

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/5/2026House

  2. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate on 4/30/2026.

    5/4/2026Senate

  3. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate on 4/30/2026.

    5/4/2026Senate

  4. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 15.

    4/30/2026Senate

  5. Effective date 4/30/2026.

    4/30/2026Senate

  6. Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.

    4/29/2026Senate

  7. Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

    4/28/2026Senate

  8. Received from the House with amendments.

    4/27/2026Senate

  9. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 63, nays 28. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

    4/23/2026House

  10. Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

    4/22/2026House

  11. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/23/2026.

    4/22/2026House

  12. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

    4/21/2026House

  13. Reported favorably (8-5-1). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/20/2026House

  14. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    4/14/2026House

  15. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

    4/13/2026House

  16. Called from the Calendar.

    4/8/2026Senate

  17. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 25 yeas and 11 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    4/8/2026Senate

  18. Senate floor amendments read and adopted.

    4/7/2026Senate

  19. Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

    4/7/2026Senate

  20. Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

    4/1/2026Senate

  21. Rules suspended. Reported favorably.

    3/31/2026Senate

  22. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

    3/9/2026Senate

  23. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

    2/26/2026Senate

Bill Text

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