§62. Court costs and fees; submission to Judicial Council; recommendation

A. As used in this Section, the following words have the meanings ascribed to them unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) "Court cost and fee" means a cost or fee paid, or to be paid, by a person to the clerk of court or sheriff, or other law enforcement official responsible for receiving the payment of costs or fees collected as a part of the imposition or execution of a criminal sentence, in connection with the filing or processing of any civil or criminal matter, or the filing or processing of any pleading in any civil or criminal matter or in connection with the imposition or execution of a sentence by a court having criminal jurisdiction, in a court of limited or general jurisdiction.

(2) "Court of limited or general jurisdiction" means district court, family court, juvenile court, city court, parish court, municipal court, and traffic court.

B. No law to provide for a new court cost or fee or to increase an existing court cost or fee shall be enacted unless first submitted to the Judicial Council for review and recommendation to the legislature. Such review and recommendation shall include, but not be limited to, factors such as whether the court cost or fee is reasonably related to the operation of the courts or court system. A copy of the proposal for a new or increased court cost or fee shall be submitted to the Judicial Council no later than October fifteenth of the calendar year before the proposal is intended to be introduced in the legislature, and a copy shall be provided to the legislature, through the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate, at the time it is submitted to the Judicial Council for review. The Judicial Council shall notify the legislature of its recommendation, through the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate, by March first of each year.

C. The provisions of this Section shall apply only to court costs or fees, or increases to an existing court cost or fee to be charged or collected by the supreme court, courts of appeal, district courts, city courts, parish courts, juvenile courts, family courts, traffic courts, or municipal courts. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to mayor's courts, magistrate courts, or justice of the peace courts.

Acts 2003, No. 202, §1; Acts 2011, No. 245, §1; Acts 2018, No. 553, §1.