Bill
HB 136
Harahan may appoint any of the top three most senior candidates from the promotional list, not just the single most senior, for police vacancies.
Purpose
- This bill amends the process for filling vacancies in the classified police service in the city of Harahan. It adds a special exception to the existing state civil service rules governing promotional appointments, allowing Harahan to appoint a vacancy from among a narrow group of top departmental seniors.
Key Provisions
- Enacts a new provision to R.S. 33:2554(C)(6) governing certification and appointment for Harahan.
- (a) If a vacancy cannot be filled by reinstatement or reemployment, the board must certify the names of individuals on the promotional list for the relevant class, in the order they appear.
- (b) The appointing authority must select and appoint to the vacancy a person who is certified as among the three highest in departmental seniority, provided that person’s name appears on the promotional list for the class in question.
Context within existing law
- The bill retains the general structure of Louisiana’s municipal fire and police civil service system, which creates:
- Separate systems for municipalities with populations above and below 13,000, with corresponding seniority definitions and list-building processes.
- A municipal civil service board responsible for maintaining eligibility and promotion lists.
- The standard practice that vacancies be filled first by reinstatement or reemployment, and if not possible, by the person on the promotion list with the greatest departmental seniority (subject to existing exceptions).
- Harahan-specific change adds an exception to the above standard, permitting appointment from among the top three promotees by departmental seniority, rather than strictly the single person with the greatest departmental seniority.
Who Is Affected
- City of Harahan's classified police service in the police department.
- The appointing authority (likely city officials responsible for police vacancies) and the municipal civil service board governing Harahan.
- Eligible applicants on Harahan’s promotional list for the corresponding class.
Procedural and Timeline Considerations
- The policy change is an amendment to existing statutory text adding a new subsection (R.S. 33:2554(C)(6)).
- The bill follows standard legislative process, with notice of intention published and committee consideration prior to passage. The action history shows the bill moved through the House and into the Senate in 2026, with committee and floor actions detailed in the bill’s record.
- Implementing the change would apply prospectively to vacancies in Harahan’s police department once enacted and in force.
Notes for Stakeholders
- The change provides Harahan with a concrete mechanism to select the top three endorsed candidates by departmental seniority on the promotional list, rather than strictly the single most senior candidate on that list, potentially increasing flexibility in staffing decisions.
- As with all civil service changes, local implementation should align with any ongoing personnel policies and ensure consistency with constitutional and statutory requirements governing civil service and promotions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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