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HB916 • 2026

CLERKS OF COURT: Provides for an additional filing fee for recordation of documents with the clerk of court (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

CLERKS OF COURT: Provides for an additional filing fee for recordation of documents with the clerk of court (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Technology
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Nicholas Muscarello
Last action
2026-05-29
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 446
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about the timeline for court cooperation on a unified filing system, only that it is required.

Additional Filing Fee for Document Recording

This act creates an extra fee when people record documents with the clerk of court, and it sets rules on how to use this money.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a $5 fee each time someone records a document with the clerk of court.
  • Keeps fifty cents for the clerk's office and sends the rest to LCRAA (Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority).
  • LCRAA keeps fifty cents and gives the rest to the Court Modernization and Technology Fund.
  • Requires courts to work together on a single filing platform by 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who record documents with the clerk of court will pay an extra fee.
  • The Louisiana Supreme Court and appellate courts must cooperate on a unified filing system.

Terms To Know

LCRAA
Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority, which manages electronic filing systems for clerks of court.
Court Modernization and Technology Fund
A fund dedicated to improving technology in the courts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The extra fee starts on January 1, 2027, and ends on August 1, 2029, unless extended by law.
  • It is not clear how much money will be collected or if the goal of a single filing platform will be achieved.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a $5 fee for recording documents with the clerk of court, with half going to the clerk and half to the LCRAA, which will use it to help develop an electronic filing system.

  • Adds a new $5 fee when people record documents with the clerk of court.
  • The clerk keeps 50 cents from this fee, while the LCRAA (La. Clerks' Remote Access Authority) gets another 50 cents.
  • LCRAA must use its share to help build an electronic filing system and report back to the legislature about progress.
  • The exact details of how the remaining funds will be used by LCRAA are not fully explained in this summary.
Filed

Plain English: HCAHB916 3264 2498 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB916 3264 2498 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 916 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 2 and at the beginning of line 3, delete "to provide for an 3 effective date;" 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 On page 1, line 4, after "agreements;" insert "to provide for effectiveness;" 6 AMENDMENT NO.
Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB916 4872 3014 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Muscarello to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HFAHB916 4872 3014 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Muscarello to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 916 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, after line 5, insert the following: 3 "Section 3.
  • The LCRAA shall provide a report to the legislature no later than 4 the start of the 2028 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana detailing the 5 total dollars collected pursuant to R.S.
Filed

Plain English: HFAHB916 4872 3004 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Muscarello to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HFAHB916 4872 3004 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Muscarello to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 916 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, after line 5, insert the following: 3 "Section 3.
  • The LCRAA shall provide a report to the legislature no later than 4 the start of the 2028 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana detailing the 5 total dollars collected pursuant to R.S.
Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB916 4872 2578 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB916 4872 2578 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Judiciary to Original House Bill No.
  • 916 by Representative Muscarello 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 2 and at the beginning of line 3, delete "to provide for an 3 effective date;" 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 On page 1, line 4, after "agreements;" insert "to provide for effectiveness;" 6 AMENDMENT NO.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB916 allows the clerk of court to charge an additional filing fee for recording documents.

  • Adds a provision allowing clerks of court to collect an extra filing fee when people record certain documents.
  • The exact amount and conditions for the new filing fee are not specified in this amendment text, so more details would be needed to understand how it will work.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how a filing fee is divided between the clerk who collects it, a local agency (LCRAA), and another part of LCRAA.

  • Changes the way the filing fee is split: The person collecting the fee keeps fifty cents, then sends the rest to LCRAA. LCRAA also keeps fifty cents and sends the remaining amount elsewhere.
  • The amendment does not specify where LCRAA sends the remaining part of the fee after keeping fifty cents.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-05-29 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 446.

  3. 2026-05-25 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  4. 2026-05-22 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  5. 2026-05-21 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  6. 2026-05-20 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 92, nays 2. The Senate amendments, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, were concurred in.

  7. 2026-05-19 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/20/2026.

  8. 2026-05-13 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  9. 2026-05-12 S

    Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-05-04 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  11. 2026-04-29 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  12. 2026-04-28 S

    Reported favorably.

  13. 2026-04-08 S

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

  14. 2026-04-07 S

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

  15. 2026-04-01 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 90, nays 5. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-03-31 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/01/2026.

  17. 2026-03-30 H

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

  18. 2026-03-26 H

    Reported with amendments (14-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

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

  20. 2026-02-27 H

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

  21. 2026-02-27 H

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

  22. 2026-02-27 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CLERKS OF COURT: Provides for an additional filing fee for recordation of documents with the clerk of court (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 4462026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 916
BY REPRESENTATIVE MUSCARELLO
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 13:754(F)(3), relative to recordation of documents with the clerk of court; to
3 provide for a fee for recording documents; to provide for the deposit of the funds; to
4 authorize cooperative agreements; to provide for effectiveness; and to provide for
5 related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:754(F)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §754. Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority; membership; board of
9 commission; statewide portal
10 * * *
11 F.
12 * * *
13 (3) An additional fee of five dollars shall apply to each recording subject to
14 the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection. The member shall retain fifty
15 cents of the fee provided for in this Paragraph. The remainder of the fee shall then
16 be remitted to LCRAA by the tenth of the month. The LCRAA shall retain fifty cents
17 of the fee and remit the remainder to the Court Modernization and Technology Fund,
18 created pursuant to R.S. 39:100.211, to be dedicated for those purposes including
19 cooperation with LCRAA concerning statewide court electronic filing integration.
20 The Louisiana Supreme Court and appellate courts shall enter into cooperative
21 agreements concerning the delivery of a single filing platform for the appellate
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 916 ENROLLED
1 courts with the goal of full integration between all appellate courts and the statewide
2 LCRAA filing platform.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. The additional fee for recordings required by R.S. 13:754(F)(3) as enacted
5 by Section 1 of this Act shall apply on January 1, 2027, and thereafter.
6 Section 3. The LCRAA shall provide a report to the legislature no later than the start
7 of the 2028 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana detailing the total dollars
8 collected pursuant to R.S. 13:754(F)(3) and the progress made on the delivery of an
9 integrated single filing platform between all appellate courts and the statewide LCRAA
10 filing platform.
11 Section 4. The provisions of R.S. 13:754(F)(3) shall expire on August 1, 2029,
12 unless extended by legislative Act.
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.