The bill, SB 165, aims to expand the governance of the River Parishes Juvenile Justice District by including Lafourche Parish within its jurisdiction. It retains the existing structure of the board of commissioners while modifying its composition to include a commissioner appointed by the sheriff of Lafourche Parish. Additionally, the bill mandates that all employees of the River Parishes Juvenile Justice Board be directly employed by the River Parishes Juvenile Justice Commission, and it specifies that the superintendent or administrator must also be directly employed by the commission. The board's domicile is changed from St. James Parish to Lafourche Parish, and it expands the commission's collaboration to include juvenile courts and public agencies within the 17th Judicial District.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a requirement that when the River Parishes Juvenile Justice District proposes a tax increase, the Lafourche Parish Council must present a corresponding reduction in current levied millage to the electors of Lafourche Parish on the same election date. It also allows courts in Lafourche Parish to levy special costs against defendants and juveniles similar to those in the other parishes already included in the district. The effective date for these changes is set for August 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
SB165 Original: 15:12(A), 15:16(A), 15:17(A)
SB165 Engrossed: 15:12(A), 15:16(A)
SB165 Enrolled: 15:12(A), 15:16(A)
SB165 Act 435: 15:12(A), 15:16(A)