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HB324 • 2026

JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial salaries (RE1 +$6,690,757 GF EX See Note)

JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial salaries (RE1 +$6,690,757 GF EX See Note)

Budget Elections
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Debbie Villio
Last action
2026-05-29
Official status
Adopted in House concurrence
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the funding mechanism beyond fiscal year 2026-27, nor does it define 'cost of living adjustment' in terms other than its implementation.

Judges' Salary Increases

This bill sets new salary increases for judges based on recommendations by the Judicial Compensation Commission, effective July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

  • Ends a temporary supplement to judges' salaries that was set to expire on June 30, 2026.
  • Increases salaries of Louisiana Supreme Court justices by $12,129 starting July 1, 2026.
  • Raises the salary for court of appeal judges by $11,431 effective July 1, 2026.
  • Boosts district court judges' pay by $10,723 as of July 1, 2026.
  • Increases city and parish courts judges' salaries based on the same percentage increase as district court judges.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Judges in Louisiana Supreme Court
  • Judges in Courts of Appeal
  • Judges in District Courts
  • Judges in City and Parish Courts

Terms To Know

Judicial Compensation Commission
A group that recommends salary adjustments for judges.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the cost-of-living adjustment will be funded beyond fiscal year 2026-27.
  • It removes planned salary increases for future years, specifically for Fiscal Year 2027-28 and 2028-29.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment proposes a salary increase for Louisiana judges, including a cost-of-living adjustment in 2026 and a 2.7% raise effective July 1, 2027.

  • Provides a cost-of-living adjustment of less than 2% for the salaries of Supreme Court justices, court of appeal judges, district court judges, city court judges, and parish court judges starting July 1, 2026.
  • Includes a 2.7% salary increase for all mentioned judges effective July 1, 2027.
  • The exact percentage increase for city and parish courts is not specified but will match the district court's percentage increase.
Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB324 4448 4140 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HCAHB324 4448 4140 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 324 by Representative Villio 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 13, after "Subsection" and before "of this" delete "E" and insert "B" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 2, delete lines 7 through 20 in their entirety 5 AMENDMENT NO.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB324 4448 4112 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HCAHB324 4448 4112 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 324 by Representative Villio 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, delete lines 7 through 20 in their entirety 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 2, at the beginning of line 21, delete "E." and insert "B." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB324 4448 4094 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HCAHB324 4448 4094 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 324 by Representative Villio 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 8, delete "A.(1)" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, delete lines 12 through 20 in their entirety 5 AMENDMENT NO.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB324 involves the House voting on Senate amendments related to judicial salaries.

  • The House voted to concur with Senate amendments regarding judicial salaries.
  • The official text does not provide specific details about the changes to judicial salaries, only that the House is agreeing to Senate amendments.
Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB324 4335 3190 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary A to Reengrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB324 4335 3190 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary A to Reengrossed House Bill No.
  • 324 by Representative Villio 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, between lines 6 and 7, insert the following: 3 "(3) On July 1, 2027, the actual salary of the judges of the Louisiana Supreme 4 Court, courts of appeal, and district courts and the state-paid actual salary of the 5 judges of the city courts and parish courts shall be increased by two and seven tenths 6 percent." Page 1 of 1
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB324 4335 3102 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary A to Reengrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB324 4335 3102 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary A to Reengrossed House Bill No.
  • 324 by Representative Villio 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, between lines 6 and 7, insert the following: 3 "(3) On July 1, 2027, the actual salary of the judges of the Louisiana Supreme 4 Court, courts of appeal, and district courts and the state-paid actual salary of the 5 judges of the city courts and parish courts shall be increased by two and seven tenths 6 percent." Page 1 of 1

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 93, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

  2. 2026-05-27 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.

  3. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  4. 2026-05-26 S

    Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  5. 2026-05-26 S

    Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.

  6. 2026-05-19 S

    Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

  7. 2026-05-19 S

    Rules suspended.

  8. 2026-05-13 S

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

  9. 2026-05-12 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-05-11 S

    Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-05-06 S

    Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

  12. 2026-05-06 S

    Senate Committee amendments read and adopted.

  13. 2026-05-05 S

    Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.

  14. 2026-04-28 S

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

  15. 2026-04-27 S

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

  16. 2026-04-27 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  17. 2026-04-23 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/27/2026.

  18. 2026-04-22 H

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

  19. 2026-04-21 H

    Reported with amendments (14-0).

  20. 2026-04-13 H

    Read by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

  21. 2026-04-09 H

    Reported favorably (13-0).

  22. 2026-03-09 H

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

  23. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  24. 2026-02-24 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  25. 2026-02-24 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial salaries (RE1 +$6,690,757 GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-915 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 324
BY REPRESENTATIVE VILLIO
JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial salaries
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:51, relative to judicial salaries; to provide for salary increases for judges
3 of the Louisiana Supreme Court, courts of appeal, district courts, city courts, and
4 parish courts; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:51 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §51. Salary as recommended by the Judicial Compensation Commission
8 A.(1) The supplement paid pursuant to and authorized by Section 5 of Act
9 390 of the 2025 Regular Session of the Legislature shall terminate on June 30, 2026,
10 but shall be continued as a cost of living adjustment to salary effective on July 1,
11 2026.
12 (2) On July 1, 2026, after adjustment pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this
13 Subsection and subject to the provisions of Subsection B of this Section, the actual
14 salary of the judges of the Louisiana Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and district
15 courts and the state-paid actual salary of the judges of the city courts and parish
16 courts shall reflect the recommended cost of living adjustment and be increased by
17 the amount recommended by the Judicial Compensation Commission reflecting a
18 total increase of less than two percent for each year since the last increase as follows:
19 (a) Twelve thousand one hundred twenty-nine dollars for the justices of the
20 Louisiana Supreme Court.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-915 REENGROSSED
HB NO. 324
1 (b) Eleven thousand four hundred thirty-one dollars for the judges of the
2 courts of appeal.
3 (c) Ten thousand seven hundred twenty-three dollars for the judges of the
4 district courts.
5 (d) An amount for judges of the city and parish courts that would increase
6 the state-paid salary of the judges by the same percentage as district court judges.
7 B. The cost of living adjustment authorized pursuant to Paragraph (A)(2) of
8 this Section for Fiscal Year 2026-27 shall be funded by the judiciary itself upon
9 certification by the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Judicial Budgetary
10 Control Board that the judiciary has sufficient reserves to satisfy the obligation.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 324 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Villio
Abstract: Provides relative to judicial salaries.
Proposed law provides for the termination of the supplement paid pursuant to and authorized
by Section 5 of Act 390 of the 2025 Regular Section on June 30, 2026. However, effective
July 1, 2026, proposed law requires the supplement to continue as a cost of living adjustment
to salary.
Proposed law requires effective July 1, 2026, after adjustment pursuant to proposed law and
subject to the provisions of proposed law, for the actual salary of the judges of the La.
Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and district courts and the state-paid actual salary of the
judges of the city courts and parish courts to reflect the recommended cost of living
adjustment and be increased by the amount recommended by the Judicial Compensation
Commission reflecting a total increase of less than 2% for each year since the last increase
as follows:
(1) $12,129 for the justices of the La. Supreme Court.
(2) $11,431 for the judges of the courts of appeal.
(3) $10,723 for the judges of the district courts.
(4) An amount for judges of the city and parish courts that would increase their state-
paid salary by the same percentage as district court judges.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-915 REENGROSSED
HB NO. 324
Proposed law requires that the cost of living adjustment authorized pursuant to proposed law
for Fiscal Year 2026-27 be funded by the judiciary itself upon certification by the La.
Supreme Court and the La. Judicial Budgetary Control Board that the judiciary has sufficient
reserves to satisfy the obligation.
(Adds R.S. 13:51)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to the
engrossed bill:
1. Removes the cost of living increase to judges' salaries for Fiscal Year 2027-2028
and Fiscal Year 2028-2029.
2. Makes a technical change.
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.