HB263 • 2026

COURTS: Provides with respect to the magistrate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District Court and authority relative to specialty court programs

Children Crime

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Les Farnum
Last action: 2026-05-22
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 295
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the number of specialty court programs that will be established or operated under this act.

Magistrate Judge Authority for Specialty Courts

This act gives the magistrate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District Court permission to oversee specialty court programs and handle related felony cases, with approval from other judges.

What This Bill Does

Gives the magistrate judge in the Fourteenth Judicial District Court the power to run specialty court programs.
Allows the magistrate judge to decide on felony charges for people involved in these programs.
Defines what a 'specialty court' is, including drug courts, Veterans Courts, DWI courts, mental health courts, and others.

Who It Names or Affects

The magistrate judge in the Fourteenth Judicial District Court
People involved in specialty court programs

Terms To Know

specialty court: A program designated by the Louisiana Supreme Court that focuses on specific issues like drug addiction, mental health, or veterans' needs.

Limits and Unknowns

The act only applies to the Fourteenth Judicial District Court.
Other judges in the district must approve the magistrate judge's involvement in these courts.

Amendments

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

House Floor Amendment #3652 Farnum Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB263 3264 3652 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Farnum to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB263 3264 3652 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Farnum to Engrossed House Bill No.
263 by Representative Farnum 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 16, delete "division probate" and insert "court" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
2 4 On page 1, line 17, after "reentry court," delete the remainder of the line and insert "domestic 5 abuse court, behavioral health court, or any juvenile specialty court handling" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

2026-05-22 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-22 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 295.
2026-05-19 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-18 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-18 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-18 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-13 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 32 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-07 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-06 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-05 S
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
2026-04-21 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.
2026-04-20 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-15 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-14 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.
2026-04-13 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-09 H
Reported favorably (13-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-23 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-23 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS: Provides with respect to the magistrate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District Court and authority relative to specialty court programs

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 2952026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 263
BY REPRESENTATIVE FARNUM
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:589(E), relative to the magistrate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District
3 Court; to authorize the magistrate judge to preside over specialty court programs; to
4 define relative to specialty court; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:589(E) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §589. Fourteenth Judicial District Court; magistrate judge
8 * * *
9 E.(1) Notwithstanding this Section or any other provision of law to the
10 contrary, subject to the approval of the en banc judges of the Fourteenth Judicial
11 District Court, the magistrate judge may preside over a specialty court program and
12 fully adjudicate the related felony charges for those who have pled into or otherwise
13 agreed to participate in a specialty court program.
14 (2) For purposes of this Subsection, "specialty court" means any program
15 designated as a specialty court by the Louisiana Supreme Court including drug court
16 programs, Veterans Court programs, driving while intoxicated court, mental health
17 court, reentry court, domestic abuse court, behavioral health court, or any juvenile
18 specialty court handling matters related to allegations of domestic abuse.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 1 of 1
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.