KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Louisiana

HB519 • 2026

COURTS: Provides relative to the appointment of a special master by a trial court

COURTS: Provides relative to the appointment of a special master by a trial court

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Mike Johnson
Last action
2026-05-22
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 303
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the frequency or conditions for appointing special masters beyond adherence to ethical and legal requirements.

Rules for Special Masters in Complex Court Cases

This act sets rules for the appointment of special masters by trial courts in complex cases involving multiple lawsuits with common facts, requiring adherence to ethical standards and specific legal requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new rule (R.S. 13:4165(G)) about appointing special masters in certain court cases.
  • Requires special masters to follow the Code of Judicial Conduct and federal rules when appointed for complex cases with multiple lawsuits sharing similar issues.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Trial courts that handle complex cases involving multiple lawsuits
  • Special masters appointed in these cases

Terms To Know

special master
A person appointed by a court to help manage and resolve complicated legal issues.
Code of Judicial Conduct
Rules that judges and other judicial officers must follow to ensure fair and ethical behavior in the courtroom.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies to cases designated or approved by rules set by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
  • It does not specify how often special masters will be appointed under these new rules.

Amendments

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

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB519 4872 3413 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB519 4872 3413 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 519 by Representative Mike Johnson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 18, after "Section." insert the following: 3 "Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this 4 Subsection apply to those complex cases designated or approved under rules adopted 5 for this purpose by the Louisiana Supreme Court with all appointments under this 6 Subsection complying with those rules and the ethical requirements of this 7 Subsection." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB519 4872 3300 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB519 4872 3300 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 519 by Representative Mike Johnson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 18, after "Section." insert the following: 3 "Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this 4 Subsection shall apply to those complex cases designated or approved under rules 5 adopted for this purpose by the supreme court with all appointments under this 6 Subsection complying with those rules and the ethical requirements of this 7 Subsection." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-22 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-05-22 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 303.

  3. 2026-05-19 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-19 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-19 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-19 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-18 S

    Rules suspended. 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

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  10. 2026-05-05 S

    Rules suspended. Reported favorably.

  11. 2026-04-20 S

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

  12. 2026-04-15 S

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

  13. 2026-04-15 H

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

  14. 2026-04-14 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.

  15. 2026-04-13 H

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

  16. 2026-04-09 H

    Reported with amendments (13-0).

  17. 2026-03-09 H

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

  18. 2026-02-27 H

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

  19. 2026-02-26 H

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

  20. 2026-02-26 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS: Provides relative to the appointment of a special master by a trial court

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 519
BY REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:4165(G), relative to the appointment of a special master; to provide for the
3 application of the code of judicial conduct to special masters; and to provide for
4 related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:4165(G) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 §4165. Special masters; appointment; duties and powers; compensation; code of
8 judicial conduct
9 * * *
10 G. For complex causes of action with multiple cases sharing common
11 questions of fact, when consolidated pursuant to an order or rules adopted by the
12 supreme court, any appointment of a special master by a trial court pursuant to this
13 Section shall comply with the ethical requirements of the Code of Judicial Conduct
14 as applicable and the requirements of Fed. Civ. R. 53 as to the appointment and
15 disqualification of a master, except to the extent those requirements are specifically
16 inconsistent with state law. Any appointment as described in this Subsection shall
17 also be subject to the provisions of Paragraphs (2) and (6) of Subsection F of this
18 Section. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this
19 Subsection apply to those complex cases designated or approved under rules adopted
20 for this purpose by the Louisiana Supreme Court with all appointments under this
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 519 ENROLLED
1 Subsection complying with those rules and the ethical requirements of this
2 Subsection.
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.