House Bill No. by Representative Adams aims to amend and reenact various sections of Louisiana law related to the office of the state public defender. Key changes include the replacement of the term "indigent defender program" with "district public defender office" to better reflect the current structure of public defense services. The bill also clarifies the liability protections for members of the Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board and outlines the responsibilities of district public defenders, including recommending service delivery methods. Additionally, it addresses funding mechanisms for public defender services, allowing the use of judicial expense funds and specifying allocations from the Orleans Parish administration of criminal justice fund.

The legislation further proposes amendments to existing laws, including the introduction of new legal language and the repeal of certain provisions, such as R.S. 15:161(H). It establishes that any citizen of majority age can take legal action against the office for non-compliance with the law. The bill emphasizes the need for uniform standards and guidelines for public defender services, mandates the adoption of rules for attorney training and compliance, and aims to streamline the public defender system to enhance the delivery of legal services to indigent individuals in Louisiana.

Statutes affected:
HB516 Original: 11:1902(12), 11:1903(A)(2), 13:43(C), 13:5(B)(2), 13:5951(E)(1), 15:148(B)(1), 15:161(E), 15:162(D), 15:165(B)(1), 15:169(B), 15:174(C), 15:176(C)(1), 15:2(5), 15:3(A)(2), 15:4(A), 15:6(A), 15:11(L)(1), 15:4(E)(8), 15:1202(A)(14), 15:1442(C)(7), 22:822(B)(1), 36:4(B)(21), 42:1121(I), 46:2168(B)(1), 46:4(C)(1), 15:161(H)