HB44 • 2026

JUDGES/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Provides jurisdictional exceptions for constables and justices of peace

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Mike Bayham
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 44
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about property standards and nuisance violations, leaving this information open-ended.

Judges and Justice of the Peace Courts: Exceptions for Constables and Justices

This act gives justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish concurrent jurisdiction over property standards and nuisance violations, and allows constables to issue summonses and serve subpoenas for these cases.

What This Bill Does

Gives justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish concurrent jurisdiction over property standards and nuisance violations within the parish.
Allows constables working with justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish to issue summonses and serve subpoenas for violations occurring anywhere within their territorial jurisdiction.

Who It Names or Affects

Justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish
Constables working with justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish

Terms To Know

Concurrent jurisdiction: The ability for two or more courts to handle cases at the same time.
Nuisance violations: Breaking rules that cause a public annoyance, like noise or unsanitary conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

This act only applies to St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana.
The exact details of property standards and nuisance violations are not defined here but will be based on local ordinances.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 44.
2026-05-07 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-07 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-06 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-06 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-05 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-27 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-22 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-21 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-31 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.
2026-03-30 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-26 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 92, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-25 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/26/2026.
2026-03-24 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-23 H
Reported favorably (17-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-01-23 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 1/23/2026.
2026-01-23 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-01-23 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

JUDGES/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Provides jurisdictional exceptions for constables and justices of peace

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 442026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 44
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:2586(C)(9), relative to justice of the peace courts in St. Bernard Parish; to
3 provide relative to jurisdiction and procedures; to provide for jurisdiction over
4 property standards and nuisance violations; to provide relative to summons and
5 subpoenas by constables; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:2586(C)(9) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §2586. Jurisdiction and procedure
9 * * *
10 C.
11 * * *
12 (9) A justice of the peace court in St. Bernard Parish shall have concurrent
13 jurisdiction over property standards and nuisance violations anywhere in the parish
14 in which the court is situated, pursuant to local ordinance. In addition, a constable
15 of a justice of the peace court in St. Bernard Parish may issue summons and serve
16 subpoenas for such violations occurring anywhere within the territorial jurisdiction
17 of the justice of the peace court.
18 * * *
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.