HB559 • 2026

COURTS/COURT COSTS: Increases court costs for the Fourth Judicial District (EN +$313,179 LF RV See Note)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Adrian Fisher
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not explicitly state that the funds must be deposited into the judicial expense fund, but it is implied by the context of the bill's purpose.

Increase Court Costs for Fourth Judicial District

This bill increases the maximum court costs and filing fees that people must pay when they file civil suits or criminal cases in the Fourth Judicial District of Louisiana.

What This Bill Does

Raises the maximum amount of money a person has to pay when starting a civil case in the Fourth Judicial District from $15 to $35.
Increases the cost for defendants who are convicted, plead guilty, or forfeit their bond in criminal cases over which the Fourth Judicial District Court has jurisdiction from $15 to $35.

Who It Names or Affects

People filing civil suits or proceedings in the Fourth Judicial District of Louisiana.
Defendants who are convicted, plead guilty, or forfeit their bond in criminal cases handled by the Fourth Judicial District Court.

Terms To Know

Judicial expense fund: A special account where extra court costs and filing fees collected from people involved in legal proceedings are kept to be used for judicial expenses.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the additional funds will be spent.
It is unclear what happens if a person cannot afford to pay these increased costs.

Bill History

2026-05-26 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-25 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-25 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-25 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-21 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 31 yeas and 5 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-13 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-12 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-11 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-20 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
2026-04-15 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, roll called on final passage, yeas 83, nays 13. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was 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 (14-0).
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.
2026-02-26 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
2026-02-26 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

COURTS/COURT COSTS: Increases court costs for the Fourth Judicial District (EN +$313,179 LF RV See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 559
BY REPRESENTATIVE FISHER
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:996.42(A), relative to court costs; to increase maximum filing
3 fees and court costs to deposit into the judicial expense fund for the Fourth Judicial
4 District; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:996.42(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 §996.42. Judicial expense fund for Fourth Judicial District
8 A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law,
9 each clerk of court in the Fourth Judicial District shall collect from every person
10 filing any type of civil suit or proceeding, and who is not otherwise exempted by law
11 from the payment of court costs, a sum to be determined by the judges of said
12 district, sitting en banc, which sum shall not exceed fifteen thirty-five dollars,
13 subject, however, to the provisions of Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, Article
14 5181, et seq. In all criminal cases over which the Fourth Judicial District Court has
15 jurisdiction, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted
16 after trial, or after he pleads guilty, or who forfeits his bond, a sum likewise
17 determined, but which shall not exceed fifteen thirty-five dollars, which shall be in
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 559 ENROLLED
1 addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed, and which shall be
2 transmitted to the said clerk for further disposition in accordance herewith.
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.