JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial compensation (EG INCREASE GF EX See Note)

HLS 26RS-401 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 597
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCMAKIN
JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial compensation
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact Chapter 1-B(Heading) of Title 13 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
3 of 1950, to enact R.S. 13:41, and to repeal R.S. 13:42 through 50, relative to judicial
4 compensation; to provide for the yearly increase in compensation for certain judges;
5 to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. Chapter 1-B(Heading) of Title 13 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
8 1950 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 13:41 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 CHAPTER 1-B. JUDICIAL COMPENSATION COMMISSION
10 §41. Judicial compensation
11 A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and subject
12 to an annual appropriation for such purposes, the actual salary of the Louisiana
13 Supreme Court, court of appeal, district court, city court, and parish court judges
14 shall be increased each year on July first by the average of a five year rolling index
15 of the Consumer Price Index determined by the United States Bureau of Labor
16 Statistics.
17 B. The rolling index shall be determined each year after February first and
18 shall include the Consumer Price Index for the five years previous to the year of the
19 pay raise.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-401 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 597
1 C. The calculation of the five year rolling average shall be made by the
2 Department of the Treasury.
3 D. The percentage increase for a particular year shall not exceed the five
4 year rolling average for percentage increases in average annual pay for full-time state
5 classified employees, as measured by the most recently available reported data of the
6 Department of Civil Service.
7 E. The salary increases authorized in Subsection A of this Section shall be
8 contingent upon approval prior to each July first by the Louisiana Supreme Court
9 and the Louisiana Judicial Budgetary Control Board, after each has made a
10 determination that the judiciary has sufficient funding for the increase. The raise due
11 for any particular year shall be suspended to the extent of insufficient available
12 funds.
13 Section 2. R.S. 13:42 through 50 are hereby repealed in their entirety.
14 Section 3. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2028.
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 597 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session McMakin
Abstract: Provides for the annual raises of judges in the state of La.
Present law provides for the Judicial Compensation Commission (commission) charged with
the duty of studying judges' salaries and making recommendations to the legislature.
Present law requires the commission to submit its recommendations concerning judges'
salaries to the legislature 60 days prior to the commencement of any regular session of the
legislature in an even-numbered year and permits a report to be submitted every two years
thereafter at any regular session of the legislature in an even-numbered year.
Present law authorizes the legislature to adopt by concurrent resolution the same
recommendations contained in the most recent report of the commission at a regular session
convened in an odd-numbered year or at any extraordinary session if the recommendations
are included within the object of that session.
Proposed law deletes present law and requires salaries of judges to be determined by the
Dept. of the Treasury each year after Feb. 1st by determining the average of a five-year
rolling index of the consumer price index.
Proposed law prohibits the increase from exceeding the five-year rolling average for
percentage increases in average annual pay for full-time state classified employees.
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HB NO. 597
Proposed law provides that the salary increases will only occur if approved by the La.
Supreme Court and the La. Judicial Budgetary Control Bd. Further provides that a salary
increase will be suspended in any year if insufficient funds are available to fund the salary
increase.
Effective July 1, 2028.
(Amends Chapter 1-B(Heading) of Title 13 of the La. Revised Statutes; Adds R.S. 13:41;
Repeals R.S. 13:42-50)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to the original
bill:
1. Provide for an effective date of July 1, 2028.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.