Louisiana authorizes East Baton Rouge Parish to allocate at least $1 million annually for local public defender expenses

Original title: INDIGENT DEFENSE: Provides relative to the funding of the office of the district public defender in the 19th Judicial District Court (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

Last action · June 2, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Denise Marcelle and 20 others

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What This Bill Does

East Baton Rouge Parish governing authority is authorized to pay at least $1 million from its general fund to cover salaries and operational expenses for the 's office in the 19th Judicial District Court, effective until July 1, 2028.

Why it matters

The measure establishes a dedicated local funding stream of at least $1 million for the public defender's office in East Baton Rouge Parish, supplementing state allocations to cover staff salaries and official travel or administrative costs.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Nineteenth Judicial District Court public defenders and staff

Their office is eligible to receive local expense allowances for salaries and operational costs.

Directly affected

East Baton Rouge Parish

The parish governing authority is authorized to allocate at least $1 million from its general fund.

Key Facts

The office of the district public defender for the Nineteenth Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish is entitled to an expense allowance for public defenders, stenographers, clerks, secretaries, investigators, and other employees in addition to state funding.
The allowance covers official expenses including stationery, forms, telephone, transportation, travel, postage, and hotel costs.
The governing authority of East Baton Rouge Parish is authorized to pay a sum of at least one million dollars from its general fund for these expenses.
The funding authorization provision terminates on July 1, 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding is East Baton Rouge Parish authorized to provide?

The parish is authorized to pay a sum of not less than one million dollars from its general fund.

When does this funding authorization expire?

The funding authorization subsection terminates on July 1, 2028.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

34 actions

Jun 2, 2026HouseEnrolled
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 611.
Jun 2, 2026House
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
Jun 1, 2026House
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
May 28, 2026House
Received from the Senate without amendments.
May 28, 2026HouseEnrolled
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
May 28, 2026SenateEnrolled
Signed by the President of the Senate.

Show 28 earlier actions

May 27, 2026SenateIntroduced
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
May 27, 2026Senate
Called from the Calendar.
May 27, 2026SenateFloor
Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
May 26, 2026SenateFloor
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
May 25, 2026SenateIntroduced
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
May 21, 2026SenateCommittee
Reported favorably.
May 12, 2026SenateCommittee
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
May 11, 2026Senate
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
May 7, 2026House
Called from the calendar.
May 7, 2026HouseFloor
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
May 6, 2026House
Notice given.
May 6, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.
Apr 29, 2026House
Called from the calendar.
Apr 29, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
Apr 27, 2026House
Called from the calendar.
Apr 27, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
Apr 27, 2026House
Notice given.
Apr 27, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/29/2026.
Apr 22, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
Apr 22, 2026House
Notice given.
Apr 22, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/27/2026.
Apr 21, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/22/2026.
Apr 16, 2026HouseFloor
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
Apr 15, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported favorably (11-0).
Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Jan 30, 2026House
Prefiled.
Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.
Jan 30, 2026House
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 1/30/2026.

Version history

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