Provides relative to creating the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court (EG NO IMPACT See Note)

House Bill 571 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:842.4 to make permanent the Complex Litigation Section Program in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court. The bill accomplishes this through two statutory modifications: it amends the section heading to reflect the program's permanent status by removing language designating it as a pilot program, and it repeals subsection (D), which contained the sunset provision requiring the program to expire after two years unless extended by legislative action. The remaining provisions of the statute, including the definitions of complex litigation, the criteria for case referral, the two-hundred-dollar filing fee structure, and the establishment of the Complex Litigation Section Fund with its associated accounting and audit requirements, remain in effect under the amended statute.

The practical effect of this legislation is to establish an ongoing judicial administration program in the Nineteenth Judicial District, which encompasses the parishes of Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. The clerk of court will continue to collect the two-hundred-dollar filing fee for each case referred to the Complex Litigation Section, with all collected revenues directed into a separate dedicated fund. The court must maintain accurate records of these funds and submit annual audits to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, ensuring transparency and accountability in how the program operates and how revenues are utilized. This change eliminates the administrative necessity of periodic legislative renewal and provides institutional stability for the program's operations and budget planning.

The Complex Litigation Section Program operates within Louisiana's judicial system under the framework of state court jurisdiction and management. The program functions as a specialized docket management system designed to expedite the handling of complex cases through the Nineteenth Judicial District Court. The statutory foundation for the program derives from the court's inherent authority to manage its dockets and regulate its operations under state law. By converting the pilot program to permanent status, the legislature establishes a long-term revenue stream and operational mechanism that integrates into the district court's regular judicial infrastructure, subject to ongoing legislative oversight through the annual audit requirement filed with the office of the legislative auditor.