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HB16 • 2026

COURTS/CITY: Extends the jurisdiction of the City Court of Franklin

COURTS/CITY: Extends the jurisdiction of the City Court of Franklin

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Vincent J. St. Blanc , III
Last action
2026-05-11
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 41
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the change will be implemented or what specific cases might arise due to this expansion.

Expanding the City Court of Franklin's Jurisdiction

This act extends the area where the City Court of Franklin can handle legal cases, including parts of Ward Four in St. Mary Parish.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds new rules to Louisiana law about the City Court of Franklin's power over certain areas.
  • Gives the court authority over specific parts of Ward Four that are not within the town limits of Franklin.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The City Court of Franklin
  • People living or working in the expanded area of Ward Four

Terms To Know

jurisdiction
the official authority given to a court to hear and decide cases within its territory.
concurrent jurisdiction
when two or more courts can handle the same type of case in the same area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact details about how this change will be implemented are not provided.
  • It is unclear what specific cases might arise due to this expansion.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-11 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-05-11 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 41.

  3. 2026-05-07 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-07 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-06 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-06 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-05 S

    Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  8. 2026-04-27 S

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

  9. 2026-04-22 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-04-21 S

    Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-03-31 S

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

  12. 2026-03-30 S

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

  13. 2026-03-26 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 88, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-03-25 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/26/2026.

  15. 2026-03-24 H

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

  16. 2026-03-23 H

    Reported favorably (16-0).

  17. 2026-03-09 H

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

  18. 2026-01-23 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 1/23/2026.

  19. 2026-01-20 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

  20. 2026-01-20 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS/CITY: Extends the jurisdiction of the City Court of Franklin

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 412026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVE ST. BLANC
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:2488.1(A)(2)(c), relative to the City Court of the town of Franklin; to
3 provide relative to the territorial jurisdiction of the court; and to provide for related
4 matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:2488.1(A)(2)(c) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §2488.1. City Court of Franklin; officials and employees; provisions governing
8 A.
9 * * *
10 (2)
11 * * *
12 (c) In addition to the area provided in Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this
13 Paragraph, the territorial jurisdiction of the court shall extend throughout the portions
14 of Ward Four of St. Mary Parish that extends from the eastern most boundary of
15 Ward Three and is north of La. Hwy. 182 and south of Bayou Teche and continues
16 to the Centerville Bridge Approach Road. In such portions of Ward Four that are
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 16 ENROLLED
1 outside of the town of Franklin, the court shall have jurisdiction concurrent with the
2 justice of the peace in those cases in which the justice of the peace would have
3 jurisdiction.
4 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.