RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 647 (HB 974) 2024 Regular Session Carlson
Existing law authorizes parish and municipal governing authorities to create public libraries.
Requires a parish or municipal governing authority to appoint a board of control to govern
its libraries. Provides that board of control members serve five-year terms.
Existing law (R.S. 33:1415) provides that the governing authority of any parish or
municipality that has the power to create a board or commission also has the power to
abolish it and that the governing authority of a parish or municipality that has the power to
appoint members to a board or commission also has the power to remove and replace the
board members or commissioners. New law makes existing law relative to appointed board
members specifically applicable to library boards of control.
Prior law provided that if there was a conflict between the provisions of existing law (R.S.
33:1415 authorizing parish and municipal governing authorities to abolish boards and
commissions and to remove and replace board members or commissioners) and the
provisions of existing law (R.S. 25:211 et seq. authorizing parish and municipal governing
authorities to create public libraries and appoint library boards of control), the provisions
applicable to libraries would prevail. New law repeals prior law.
Existing law authorizes a library board of control to establish rules and regulations for its
own government and that of the library. Authorizes a board to elect and employ a librarian
and assistant librarians and to fix their salaries and compensation.
Existing law provides that only a person who has been certified by the State Bd. of Library
Examiners may be hired as head librarian.
New law provides an exception to existing law. New law authorizes a library board of
control to hire a library director and establish the qualifications for the library director
position, which may include requiring a certificate or permit from the State Bd. of Library
Examiners.
New law authorizes a library board of control to provide that the library director serves as
the head librarian. Provides that existing law requiring a head librarian to be certified by the
State Bd. of Library Examiners does not apply to a head librarian who also serves as the
library director.
Effective August 1, 2024.
(Amends R.S. 25:215(A); Adds R.S. 25:214(D); Repeals R.S. 33:1415(C))


Statutes affected:
HB974 Original: 25:215(A)
HB974 Engrossed: 25:215(A)
HB974 Enrolled: 25:215(A), 33:1415(C)
HB974 Act 647: 25:215(A), 33:1415(C)