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ACT No. 9282026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 538
BY REPRESENTATIVE FREIBERG
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:1631, relative to the judicial expense fund for the Juvenile
3 Court of East Baton Rouge Parish; to modify relative to the chief judge and all
4 judges of the court; to establish functions of the collective judges; to authorize the
5 clerk of court to collect certain additional costs in civil and criminal nonsupport
6 proceedings; to provide for the control, expenditure, and audit of monies in the
7 judicial expense fund; to increase the civil filing fee; to prohibit payment of salaries
8 from the judicial expense fund; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 13:1631 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1631. Judicial expense fund for the Juvenile Court for the parish of East Baton
12 Rouge; established; disbursements
13 A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the
14 clerk of court of the Nineteenth Judicial District shall collect from every person
15 filing any action, suit, or motion and rule to show cause on the docket of the Juvenile
16 Court of East Baton Rouge Parish and who is not otherwise exempted exempt by law
17 from the payment of court costs, a sum to be determined by the chief judge of the
18 court, but judges of the court, sitting en banc, which sum shall not to exceed fifteen
19 forty-five dollars, subject, however, to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure
20 Article 5181 et seq.; and in all criminal nonsupport cases over which the court has
21 jurisdiction, including contempt proceedings provided for by Children's Code Article
22 1353, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after
23 trial or after plea of guilty or who forfeits his bond, a sum likewise determined, but
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1 not to exceed ten dollars, which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or
2 forfeitures lawfully imposed, and which shall be transmitted to the clerk for further
3 disposition in accordance herewith with this Section.
4 B. The clerk of court shall place all sums collected or received under
5 pursuant to this Section in a separate account to be designated as the judicial expense
6 fund for the Juvenile Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge. The chief judge of
7 the court judges, en banc, of the Juvenile Court of East Baton Rouge Parish shall
8 have control over the fund and all disbursements made therefrom. The chief judge
9 The judges shall cause to be conducted annually an audit of the fund, and the books,
10 and related accounts relating thereto and shall file the same a copy of the audit with
11 the office of the legislative auditor, where it shall be available for public inspection.
12 C. The chief judge judges, en banc, of the court Juvenile Court of East Baton
13 Rouge Parish, in lieu of all or any part of the fees for reporting and transcribing
14 testimony authorized under pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 13:961(F) or other
15 applicable laws, and in addition to salaries otherwise provided, authorized, or
16 established by law, may fix and pay each court reporter a salary from the judicial
17 expense fund. The chief judge judges, en banc, may further appoint such secretarial,
18 clerical, research, administrative, or other personnel necessary to expedite the
19 business and function of the court and fix and pay all or any part of the salaries of
20 such personnel out of the monies in the judicial expense fund. In like manner, the
21 chief judge judges, en banc, may utilize the monies in the judicial expense fund to
22 pay all or any part of the cost of establishing or maintaining a law library for the
23 court, or for buying or maintaining any type of equipment, supplies, or other items
24 consistent with or germane to the efficient operation of the court. In general, the
25 judicial expense fund is established and may be used for any purpose or purposes
26 connected with, incidental to, or related to the proper administration or functions of
27 the court, or of the office offices of the individual judge judges, and is in addition to
28 any and all other funds, salaries, expenses, or other monies authorized by law for any
29 of these purposes.
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1 D. No salary shall be paid from the judicial expense fund to a judge of the
2 court.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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