Provides relative to the amount DPS&C pays for the housing of state inmates in a parish jail or institution (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)
Summary
HB 388 increases the daily amount the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) must pay parish sheriffs or parish governing authorities for housing and feeding certain state inmates in parish jails or institutions. The bill applies to inmates whose transfer to a state facility is delayed or prevented, inmates held in parish jail pending appeal, and participants in the Blue Walters Substance Abuse Program placed in parish custody in lieu of revocation of probation or parole.
Under current law, DPS&C pays $26.39 per day for these inmates. HB 388 raises that reimbursement rate in stages to $35 per day for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, $37 for 2026-2027, $39 for 2027-2028, and $40 per day beginning in 2028-2029 and thereafter. The bill also retains the requirement that DPS&C work with sheriffs and parish governing authorities on jail guidelines related to treatment and educational programming, though a committee amendment removed a specific deadline for that work.
Impact
The bill amends R.S. 15:824(B)(1)(a), changing the statutory reimbursement schedule the state pays to local jails for state inmates housed there. Its practical effect is to increase state expenditures and provide additional funding to parish jails and sheriffs that are holding inmates on behalf of DPS&C, while leaving the underlying custody rules and categories of covered inmates intact. It also continues to reference jail guideline coordination for treatment and educational programming, which may affect local jail operations and inmate services.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill was presented as a straightforward funding adjustment for parish jails rather than a controversial policy change. The caption and digest frame it as an increase in reimbursement rates, and the committee amendment indicates lawmakers were refining implementation details rather than disputing the core purpose. No vote history or transcript is provided, so there is no evidence of organized opposition or strong floor debate in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main policy issue is fiscal: the bill increases the amount the state must pay, which can draw concern over General Fund impact and the cost of housing inmates locally. A secondary point of interest is the bill’s treatment-and-education language for parish jails, which originally included a deadline that was removed by committee amendment, suggesting some sensitivity about imposing a firm timetable on DPS&C and local jail partners. No specific opponents or proponents are identified in the provided materials.