Senate Bill No. 357, introduced by Senator Reese, aims to amend and reenact certain provisions of Louisiana's judicial law, specifically R.S. 13:72.1 and 74, while enacting R.S. 13:103.1 and repealing R.S. 13:75. The bill expands the authority of the Louisiana Supreme Court to include collaboration with courts of last resort from other states, allowing for the certification of state law questions from these courts. It also empowers the Supreme Court to adopt rules for administering these provisions and establishes that such rules will govern the applicability of the law. Additionally, the bill modifies the role of the crier for the Supreme Court, allowing for the appointment of multiple criers from the court's security personnel, who will be recognized as members of a bona fide police agency with statewide police powers.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for justices whose primary residence is over fifty miles from the courthouse, allowing them to elect reimbursement for certain expenses as vouchered expenses under an accountable plan. It clarifies that reimbursements for official expenses will be subject to the court's adopted rules and will not count as employee compensation for public retirement systems. The repeal of R.S. 13:75 removes the previous retirement provisions for criers of the Supreme Court, streamlining the judicial process and updating the operational framework of the court system. The effective date for these changes is set for August 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
SB357 Original: