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River Parishes juvenile justice district bill amended to add Lafourche and protections for local funding
Summary
SB 165, expanding the River Parishes juvenile justice district and adding Lafourche Parish, was amended to include Lafourche commissioners, clarify employment of staff by the commission, and protect Lafourche taxpayers by allowing rededication of existing millage. The committee reported the bill as amended.
Senate Bill 165, authored by Senator Greg Miller, would expand the River Parishes juvenile justice district to include Lafourche Parish. The committee adopted a set of amendments addressing governance, funding and local representation before reporting the bill as amended.
Miller described the bill as a regional approach modeled on the Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice District, aimed at pooling resources for pre‑adjudication detention and rehabilitation services. Sheriff Craig Webber of Lafourche sought inclusion of his parish and told the committee the region had applied for a grant to construct a facility.
Representative Fontenot pressed the author on funding and local control. He said Lafourche has existing juvenile facilities and raised concerns about imposing new taxes or shifting millage without local consent. The committee adopted amendments (amendment set 3,182) that, among other things, require that one commissioner appointed by Lafourche’s sheriff or other named local authority be drawn from the Lafourche Parish Juvenile Justice Commission and clarify that the district may use existing ad valorem taxes levied and collected in Lafourche as of June 1, 2025, subject to rededication by a majority vote in Lafourche.
The amendment package also clarified employment relationships so that the district’s employees and any superintendent would be employed directly by the River Parishes Juvenile Justice Commission and adjusted election timing so district elections align with gubernatorial or congressional primary dates. Committee members discussed a cited federal grant reportedly around $36 million that Lafourche had applied for to build a regional facility; members asked the commission and local governments to avoid raising new taxes and to work with parish stakeholders on siting and operations.
Outcome: the committee adopted the amendment set and reported SB 165 as amended. Supporters said regionalization would concentrate expertise and keep youths closer to families; critics urged guarantees of local input, an explicit role for existing Lafourche juvenile authorities, and protections against unanticipated tax increases.
