Louisiana2026Enacted
HB559
HB559: Increases Court Costs for the Fourth Judicial District
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:26 AM
In one sentence
This law raises the maximum court fees that can be charged in civil and criminal cases within Louisiana's Fourth Judicial District.
What it does
- Amends state law to increase the maximum amount courts can collect as costs in the Fourth Judicial District.
- Sets a new limit of thirty-five dollars for filing fees on civil suits, unless the person is exempt by law.
- Requires convicted defendants or those who forfeit their bond in criminal cases to pay an additional court cost up to thirty-five dollars.
- Directs that all collected money goes into the judicial expense fund for the Fourth Judicial District.
Who it affects
- People filing civil lawsuits in the Fourth Judicial District of Louisiana who are not exempt from costs.
- Defendants convicted after a trial or guilty plea, or those who forfeit their bond, in criminal cases within this district.
Limits and unknowns
- The law sets a maximum limit of thirty-five dollars but allows the judges to determine the exact amount collected.
- People who are already exempt from paying court costs by other laws do not have to pay these fees.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Fourth Judicial District
- A specific area in Louisiana with its own set of courts covered by this law.
- Judicial expense fund
- The account where the collected court fees are deposited for use by the Fourth Judicial District.
- Sitting en banc
- When all judges in a district meet together as one group to make decisions, such as setting fee amounts.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
COURTS/COURT COSTS: Increases court costs for the Fourth Judicial District (EN +$313,179 LF RV See Note)
Official activity
Bill history
- Effective date: 08/01/2026.H
- Becomes Act No. 919 without the Governor's signature.H
- Sent to the Governor for executive approval.H
- Signed by the President of the Senate.S
- Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.H
- Received from the Senate without amendments.H
- Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 31 yeas and 5 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.S
- Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.S
- Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.S
- Reported favorably.S
- Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.S
- Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.S
- Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 83, nays 13. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.H
- Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.H
- Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.H
- Reported favorably (14-0).H
- Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.H
- First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.H
- Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.H
- Prefiled.H