This amendment changes the bill to apply rules about paying for indigent defense costs to many towns based on their population size instead of just one specific town.
Louisiana2026Enacted
HB978
Changes to Indigent Defender Fund Fees for Small Towns
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:26 AM
In one sentence
This law changes the population size rule that determines which towns must pay a special fee into the district indigent defender fund.
What it does
- Amends state law regarding fees paid to the judicial district indigent defender fund.
- Changes the population threshold for municipalities from less than five thousand to less than nine thousand people.
- Requires courts in towns with populations of nine thousand or more, except Jonesville and Plaquemine, to collect a forty-five dollar special cost fee.
- Applies the new rule starting on August 1, 2026.
Who it affects
- Courts in Louisiana municipalities with populations of nine thousand or more, excluding Jonesville and Plaquemine.
- Defendants convicted after a trial, guilty plea, nolo contendere plea, or bond forfeiture in these courts.
- The judicial district indigent defender fund which receives the collected fees.
Limits and unknowns
- This law does not apply to parking violations.
- Jonesville and Plaquemine are exempt from this fee regardless of their population size.
- The source material does not explain the reason why the population number was changed.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Indigent Defender Fund
- A state account that holds money to pay for lawyers who represent people who cannot afford them in criminal cases.
- Municipality Threshold
- The specific population number used to decide if a town must collect and send fees to the fund, now set at nine thousand.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
INDIGENT DEFENSE: Changes the municipality threshold relative to the mandatory assessment and remittance of special costs to the district indigent defender fund
Official activity
Bill history
- Effective date: 08/01/2026.H
- Becomes Act No. 930 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 35 yeas and 0 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 Judiciary B.S
- Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. 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 92, nays 2. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.H
- Scheduled for floor debate on 04/29/2026.H
- Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.H
- Reported with amendments (12-0).H
- Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.H
- Read by title. Lies over under the rules.H
Changes
Amendments
2 stored
This amendment changes the bill to apply rules about paying for indigent defense costs to all municipalities with certain population sizes instead of just one specific town.