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HB571 • 2026

COURTS/COURT COSTS: Provides relative to creating the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

COURTS/COURT COSTS: Provides relative to creating the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Vanessa Caston LaFleur
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 whether existing rules regarding filing fees or fund management are retained, only that the program is made permanent.

Creating a Permanent Complex Litigation Section Program

This bill makes the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program permanent and establishes it as part of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to make the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court a permanent program instead of a temporary one.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Nineteenth Judicial District Court
  • People involved in complex litigation cases

Terms To Know

Complex Litigation Section Program
A program within the Nineteenth Judicial District Court that handles complicated legal cases.
Filing fees
Money paid when a case is filed in court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the funds collected will be used, only that they must go into a special account.
  • It's unclear if there are any limits on which cases can be referred to this program.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment extends the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court until July 31, 2028.

  • Extends the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program from its original two-year period to a new end date of July 31, 2028.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about other aspects of the program beyond extending its duration.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB571 agrees with the Senate's changes regarding the creation of a Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.

  • Agrees with the Senate amendments related to creating the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court.
  • The official amendment text does not provide specific details about what changes were made by the Senate, so exact specifics of the program are unclear.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the termination date of the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court to July 31, 2028.

  • Changes the end date for the pilot program from an unspecified time to July 31, 2028.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens after July 31, 2028, or how the program will be extended beyond this date if needed.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 91, 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

    Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 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. 2026-05-18 S

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

  7. 2026-05-18 S

    Rules suspended.

  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. 2026-03-31 S

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

  12. 2026-03-30 S

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

  13. 2026-03-26 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 90, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-03-25 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/26/2026.

  15. 2026-03-24 H

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

  16. 2026-03-23 H

    Reported favorably (16-0).

  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/COURT COSTS: Provides relative to creating the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court (EGF NO IMPACT See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HLS 26RS-1021 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 571
BY REPRESENTATIVE LAFLEUR
COURTS/COURT COSTS: Provides relative to creating the Complex Litigation Section
Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:842.4(Section heading) and to repeal R.S. 13:842.4(D),
3 relative to the establishment of the Complex Litigation Section Program in the
4 Nineteenth Judicial District Court; to provide for the permanent creation of the
5 program; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:842.4(Section heading) is hereby amended and reenacted to read
8 as follows:
9 §842.4. Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program; filing fees; Nineteenth Judicial
10 District Court
11 * * *
12 Section 2. R.S. 13:842.4(D) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
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 571 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session LaFleur
Abstract: Authorizes the establishment of the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program
in the 19th JDC.
Present law provides for definitions and provides certain factors to determine if a case may
be referred to the Complex Litigation Section.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1021 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 571
Present law authorizes the 19th JDC to establish the Complex Litigation Section Pilot
Program and provides for additional filing fees in complex litigation cases.
Present law provides that the clerk of court may demand and receive a filing of $200 for
each case referred to the Complex Litigation Section.
Present law requires the clerk of court to collect all monies generated pursuant to present law
and forward to the 19th JDC for placement into a separate account designated as the
Complex Litigation Section Fund. Provides further that the court shall keep accurate
records, shall cause to be conducted an annual audit, and shall file the audit with the office
of the legislative auditor.
Present law provides that the Complex Litigation Section Pilot Program shall be effective
for two years unless extended by the legislature.

Proposed law repeals present law regarding the temporary nature of the program and makes
the program permanent.
Proposed law establishes the Complex Litigation Section Program and otherwise retains
present law.
(Amends R.S. 13:842.4(Section heading); Repeals R.S. 13:842.4(D))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.