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HB1043 • 2026

COURTS: Provides relative to the civil jurisdictional amounts for the First and Second Parish Courts

COURTS: Provides relative to the civil jurisdictional amounts for the First and Second Parish Courts

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Kyle M. Green , Jr.
Last action
2026-05-29
Official status
Sent to Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the impact of the bill's implementation and its effects on court operations or case outcomes.

Courts: Changes the Amount for Small Claims

This bill changes how much money can be involved in cases handled by the First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the limit on the amount of money that can be involved in civil cases heard by the First and Second Parish Courts from $20,000 to $50,000.
  • Ensures that if a related case (like a counterclaim) involves more than $50,000, it will move to a higher court called the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have civil cases in the First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish.
  • Lawyers and judges working in those courts.

Terms To Know

Civil jurisdiction
The authority a court has to hear certain types of legal disputes, like disagreements over money or property.
Reconventional demand
When one party in a lawsuit makes a claim against the other party as part of the same case.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the governor vetoes it.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect court operations or case outcomes.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: The amendment increases the civil jurisdictional limit for the First and Second Parish Courts in Jefferson Parish from $20,000 to $50,000.

  • Increases the civil jurisdictional limit for the First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish from $20,000 to $50,000.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details about other technical changes made beyond increasing the jurisdictional limits.
  • It is unclear what exactly constitutes 'technical changes' mentioned in the summary.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific references to '4844(A)' and certain phrases related to fees in two places within the bill.

  • Removes the phrase after 'fees' on page 1, line 13, along with lines 14 and 15.
  • Removes the phrase after 'fees' on page 2, line 8, along with lines 9 and 10.
  • The exact content removed is not specified in the amendment text, making it unclear what specific information was deleted.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the civil jurisdictional amounts for certain courts and specifies that these courts can only handle cases up to $35,000.

  • Changes the maximum amount in dispute or property value from $50,000 to $35,000 for specific parish courts.
  • Limits jurisdiction of First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish to cases not exceeding $35,000.
  • Specifies that if a reconventional demand, intervention, or third-party opposition exceeds $35,000, the case is removed to the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court.
  • The exact impact on existing cases and court operations is not detailed in this amendment text.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the civil jurisdictional amounts for certain parish courts and modifies references to specific legal codes.

  • Changes the maximum amount in dispute or property value that First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish can handle from $50,000 to $35,000.
  • Updates references to 'Code of Civil Procedure Article 4842(A)' to 'R.S. 13:2561.2(A) and 2562.2(A)' in the text.
  • The amendment's full impact on existing legal codes is not fully explained, making it hard to predict all changes.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB1043 by the Senate is being considered for concurrence in the House, but no specific changes are described in the provided text.

  • The official amendment text does not provide details about the specific changes made or proposed.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the civil jurisdictional amount for First and Second Parish Courts from thirty-five thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars and adds a provision for when the bill becomes law.

  • Increases the civil jurisdictional limit for First and Second Parish Courts from $35,000 to $50,000.
  • Adds language specifying that the Act will take effect upon the governor's signature or after a certain period if not signed.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how this change affects existing cases or procedures beyond the jurisdictional amount increase.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the number 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' in several places within the bill.

  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 1, line 13.
  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 2, lines 1, 8, and 16.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment changes the number 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' in four places within the bill.

  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 1, line 13 of the bill.
  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 2, line 1 of the bill.
  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 2, line 8 of the bill.
  • Changes 'thirty-five' to 'fifty' on page 2, line 16 of the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  2. 2026-05-27 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  3. 2026-05-27 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  4. 2026-05-26 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

  5. 2026-05-25 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/26/2026.

  6. 2026-05-19 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  7. 2026-05-18 S

    Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  8. 2026-05-07 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  9. 2026-05-06 S

    Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-05-05 S

    Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.

  11. 2026-04-22 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

  12. 2026-04-21 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  13. 2026-04-20 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-04-15 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/20/2026.

  15. 2026-04-14 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  16. 2026-04-13 H

    Reported with amendments (6-0-1).

  17. 2026-03-31 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

  18. 2026-03-30 H

    Read by title. Lies over under the rules.

Official Summary Text

COURTS: Provides relative to the civil jurisdictional amounts for the First and Second Parish Courts

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1043
BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:2561.2(A) and 2562.2(A), relative to the jurisdictional
3 amount for parish courts; to provide for a jurisdictional amount of fifty thousand
4 dollars for the First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish; to provide for an
5 effective date; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:2561.2(A) and 2562.2(A) are hereby amended and reenacted to
8 read as follows:
9 §2561.2. Civil jurisdiction
10 A. Subject to the limitations provided in R.S. 13:2561.4, this court has civil
11 jurisdiction concurrent with that of the district court, within its territorial boundaries,
12 when the amount in dispute, or the value of the property involved, does not exceed
13 twenty fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees, and in
14 suits for possession of leased premises when the amount of the rental does not
15 exceed the jurisdictional amounts provided in Code of Civil Procedure Article
16 4844(A); and in case of any reconventional demand, intervention, or third-party
17 opposition filed in the court and necessarily connected with or growing out of the
18 main demand, the court shall be divested of jurisdiction over the main demand and
19 all of the incidental demands when the amount in dispute or the value of the property
20 involved in the reconventional demand, intervention, or third-party opposition
21 exceeds twenty fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees,
22 and the case shall be removed to the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court.
23 * * *
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 1043 ENROLLED
1 §2562.2. Civil jurisdiction
2 A. Subject to the limitations provided in R.S. 13:2562.4, this court has civil
3 jurisdiction concurrent with that of the district court, within its territorial boundaries,
4 when the amount in dispute, or the value of the property involved, does not exceed
5 twenty fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees and in
6 suits for possession of leased premises when the amount of the rental does not
7 exceed the jurisdictional amounts provided in Code of Civil Procedure Article
8 4844(A); and in case of any reconventional demand, intervention, or third-party
9 opposition filed in the court and necessarily connected with or growing out of the
10 main demand, the court shall be divested of jurisdiction over the main demand and
11 all of the incidental demands when the amount in dispute or the value of the property
12 involved in the reconventional demand, intervention, or third-party opposition
13 exceeds twenty fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees,
14 and the case shall be removed to the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court.
15 * * *
16 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
17 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
18 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
19 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
20 effective on the day following such approval.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.