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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 243 modifies procedures for appointing substitute district attorneys upon recusal
Last action · June 1, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsor: Roger Wilder
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What This Bill Does
Louisiana House Bill 243 specifies that when a district attorney is , the trial judge must either appoint a qualified outside attorney or provide written notice to the attorney general to appoint a staff member or another district attorney. The measure takes effect on August 1, 2026.
Changes the legal protocol and oversight for handling criminal cases where a local district attorney steps aside, determining who assumes prosecutorial authority.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
district attorneys
District attorneys are subject to new statutory procedures regarding the appointment of substitutes when recusals occur.
attorney general
The attorney general is tasked with appointing a staff member or another district attorney when notified by a trial judge of a recusation.
Key Facts
- Trial judges must either appoint an outside attorney or notify the attorney general in writing when a district attorney is recused.
- Appointed substitute attorneys must have the qualifications of a district attorney and cannot be an assistant to the recused district attorney.
- When notified, the attorney general must appoint a member of their staff or a district attorney from another district to act in the case.
- Substitute attorneys possess all the powers of the recused district attorney regarding the assigned case.
Show all 5 facts
- The act becomes effective on August 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when a district attorney recuses themselves?
Who can the attorney general appoint as a substitute?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
20 actions- Jun 1, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 630.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- May 29, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 28, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate without amendments.
- May 28, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 28, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
Show 14 earlier actions
- May 27, 2026SenateFloorRead by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 26, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 25, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 21, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- May 4, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
- Apr 29, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 1. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 29, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/29/2026.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (16-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
- Feb 20, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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