HB 708 — COURTS/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Authorizes concurrent jurisdiction for justice of the peace and city courts in East Baton Rouge Parish

This Act shall become effectiveuponeffective upon signature bythe governor or, if not signedbythegovernor,uponexpirationofthetimeforbillstobecomelawwithoutsignature by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

DIGESTSPEAKER ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislativeOF Services.THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

ItPage constitutes4 nopart of the4 legislativeCODING: instrument.

The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 708 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Ventrella Abstract:

Provides for concurrent jurisdiction between the justice of the peace and city courts in East Baton Rouge Parish over evictions and for the jurisdictional boundariesandelectiondistrictsofjusticeofthepeacecourtsandconstabledistricts in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Statisticalsummariesofproposedlawincludingmapsillustratingproposedelection section boundaries accompany this digest.

(Attached to the bill version on the internet.) Present law (C.C.P.

Art.

4912) provides that a justice of the peace court has concurrent jurisdiction with a parish or district court over suits for the possession or ownership of movable property and over suits by landowners or lessors for the eviction of occupants or tenants of leased residential premises regardless of the amount of monthly or yearlyrent or rent for the unexpired term of the lease.

Present law provides that a justice of the peace court has jurisdiction over suits by landownersorlessorsfortheevictionofoccupantsortenantsofleasedcommercialpremises and leased farmlands where the amount of the monthly rental does not exceed $5,000 per month, regardless of the amount of rent due or the rent for the unexpired term of the lease.

Proposed law provides that justices of the peace in East Baton Rouge Parish shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the city courts in East Baton Rouge Parish for the eviction of occupants or tenants of leased residential or commercial premises and leased farmlands wheretheamountofthemonthlyrentaldoesnotexceed$5,000permonth,regardlessofthe amount of yearly rent or rent for the unexpired term of the lease.

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HLS 26RS-748 ENGROSSED HB NO.

708 Present law (R.S.

13:2602) provides that the territorial jurisdiction of the six justice of the peace courts within the parish of East Baton Rouge, as they exist on Sept.

12, 1980, shall continue and shall not be diminished or otherwise changed byreason of the annexation into any municipality within the parish of all or any part of the area comprising such territorial jurisdiction of a justice of the peace court.

Further provides that whenever, by reason of annexation, the territorial jurisdiction of a mayor's court or a city court is extended into all oranypartoftheexistingterritorialjurisdictionofajusticeofthepeacecourt,theterritorial jurisdiction of the mayor's court or the city court, as the case may be, shall be concurrent with that of the justice of the peace court.

Proposed law repeals present law and instead provides for the territorial jurisdiction of the six justice of the peace courts in East Baton Rouge Parish and provides that each district serves as an election district for justice of the peace and constable.

Proposed law provides that the persons elected to the offices of justice of the peace and constable for such justice of the peace courts in East Baton Rouge Parish at the regularly scheduled election in 2026 and their successors shall be elected from the districts provided in proposed law.

Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions are those precincts contained in the file named "2026 Precinct Shapefiles (01-27-2026)" available on the legislature'swebsite.

Providesthatthe2025PrecinctShapefilesarebaseduponthoseVoting Districts(VTDs)containedinthe2020CensusRedistrictingTIGER/LineShapefilesforthe state of La.

as those files have been modified and validated through the data verification program of the La.

House of Representatives and the La.

Senate to represent precinct changes submitted through Jan.

27, 2026, to the Legislature of La.

by parish governing authorities.

Proposed law also specifies that if any such precinct has been subdivided by action of the parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish governing authorityon a geographic basis in accordance with present law, the enumeration of the general precinct designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof.

Further provides that the territorial limits of the districts as enacted shall continue in effect until changed by law regardless of any subsequent change made to the precincts by the parish governing authority.

Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Summary File for La.

Population data, statistical information, and maps are supplied for purposes of information and analysis and comprise no part of proposed law.

Proposed law provides that each justice of the peacecourt in East Baton Rouge Parish shall retain jurisdiction over any matter properly filed with the court on or before the effective date of proposed law.

Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.

(Amends R.S.

13:2602;

Adds C.C.P.

Art.

4912(C)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House TheCommitteeAmendmentsProposedbyHouseCommitteeonJudiciarytotheoriginal bill:

1.

Remove a provision regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the justice of peace court in East Baton Rouge Parish coinciding with the district boundaries of the court.

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Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscored are additions.

HLS 26RS-748 ENGROSSED HB NO.

708 2.

Change the territorial jurisdiction and districts of the justice of the peace and constabledistrictsinEastBatonRougeParishandprovidefortheelectionsfrom such districts.

3.

Provide for the retention of jurisdiction for matters properly filed with a justice of the peace court on and before the effective date of proposed law.

4.

Add an effective date.

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