House Bill No. 32, introduced by Representative Bayham, seeks to amend the penalties for violations of certain ordinances in St. Bernard Parish. The bill enacts R.S. 33:1243(A)(3), which establishes that the maximum penalty for violating specific provisions of the parish's code of ordinances will be a fine of $1,500 and imprisonment for three months in the parish jail. This new provision overrides existing laws that set lower penalties, which typically include a $500 fine and 30 days of imprisonment for similar violations in other parishes.

The proposed law retains the current framework for penalties while specifically increasing the maximum penalties for St. Bernard Parish. It also includes amendments that limit the applicability of the new penalties to certain ordinance violations and reduce the maximum imprisonment time from six months to three months. This change aims to provide a more stringent enforcement mechanism for local ordinances while ensuring that penalties remain manageable.