Louisiana House Bill HB242

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/20/26
• Refer: 2/20/26
• Refer: 3/9/26
• Report Pass: 3/23/26
• Engrossed: 3/30/26
• Refer: 3/31/26
• Report Pass: 4/28/26
• Enrolled: 5/13/26
• Chaptered: 5/15/26
• Passed: 5/15/26

Caption

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides with respect to deputy constables in St. Tammany Parish (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX See Note)

Summary

HB 242 creates a new law applicable only in St. Tammany Parish that allows each duly elected constable of a justice of the peace court to appoint one deputy constable. The bill makes the constable responsible for the deputy’s acts and requires the deputy to take the constitutional oath of office, meet state training and qualification requirements, and file a copy of the oath with the attorney general within 72 hours. The bill also addresses compensation and eligibility. A deputy constable appointed under this law may not receive pay from the state or from any local governing body or political subdivision other than the constable’s office, and the constable may set the deputy’s compensation and pay related expenses from office-generated fees. The deputy must reside in St. Tammany Parish, but does not have to live in the ward from which the constable was elected. The bill expressly preserves the separate authority of a justice of the peace to appoint a special deputy constable under existing law.

Impact

HB 242 adds R.S. 13:2583.8 to Louisiana law and creates a parish-specific framework for deputy constables in St. Tammany Parish. It expands the staffing authority of elected constables there, sets training, residency, oath-filing, and compensation rules, and clarifies that these deputies are paid only through the constable’s office rather than by state or local government funds. It also leaves existing authority for special deputy constables unchanged.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously, 88-0, and there is no committee transcript indicating significant opposition or debate. The final action shows it was signed by the governor, suggesting the proposal moved forward with little visible resistance.

Contention

The main policy issues reflected in the bill are limited and practical rather than ideological. The most notable point is the decision to allow a constable to appoint and pay a deputy using office-generated fees while barring compensation from the state or other local entities, which may have been intended to avoid new public costs. Another point is the residency rule: the deputy must live in St. Tammany Parish but not necessarily in the specific ward, balancing local ties with hiring flexibility. No recorded debate suggests these provisions were heavily contested.