House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes to amend the authority of the magistrate judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District Court by allowing them to preside over specialty court programs. Specifically, the bill enacts R.S. 13:589(E), which states that, with the approval of the en banc judges of the Fourteenth Judicial District Court, the magistrate judge can fully adjudicate felony charges for individuals who have either pled into or agreed to participate in a specialty court program.

The bill also defines "specialty court" to include various programs designated by the Louisiana Supreme Court, such as drug division programs, Veterans Court, driving while intoxicated court, mental health court, reentry court, and courts handling domestic abuse allegations. This legislative change aims to enhance the judicial process by allowing the magistrate judge to take on a more active role in specialty court settings, thereby potentially improving outcomes for participants in these programs.