CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA OF 1974
ARTICLE X. PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES PART II. FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE
§16. Establishment of System
Section 16. A system of classified fire and police civil service is created and established. It shall apply to all municipalities having a population exceeding thirteen thousand and operating a regularly paid fire and municipal police department and to all parishes and fire protection districts operating a regularly paid fire department.
§17. Appointments and Promotions
Section 17. Permanent appointments and promotions in municipal fire and police civil service shall be made only after certification by the applicable municipal fire and police civil service board under a general system based upon merit, efficiency, fitness, and length of service as provided in Article XIV, Section 15.1 of the Constitution of 1921, subject to change by law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
§18. Prior Provisions
Section 18. Except as inconsistent with this Part, the provisions of Article XIV, Section 15.1 of the Constitution of 1921 are retained and continued in force and effect as statutes. By law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house, the legislature may amend or otherwise modify any of those provisions, but it may not abolish the system of classified civil service for such firemen and municipal policemen or make the system inapplicable to any municipality having a population exceeding thirteen thousand according to the latest decennial federal census or to any parish or fire protection district operating a regularly paid fire department. However, in a municipality having a population exceeding four hundred thousand, paid firemen and municipal policemen shall be included if a majority of the electors therein voting at an election held for that purpose approved their inclusion. Such an election shall be called by the governing authority of the affected city within one year after the effective date of this constitution.
§19. Exclusion
Section 19. Nothing in Part I of this Article authorizing cities or other political subdivisions to be placed under the provisions of said Part by election, act of the legislature, or ordinance of the local governing authority shall authorize the inclusion in a city civil service system of firemen and policemen in any municipality having a population greater than thirteen thousand but fewer than four hundred thousand and operating a regularly paid fire and municipal police department or in any parish or fire protection district operating a regularly paid fire department. Such firemen and policemen are expressly excluded from any such system.
§20. Political Activities
Section 20. Article XIV, Section 15.1, Paragraph 34 of the Constitution of 1921 is retained and continued in force and effect.
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Date this page was last updated: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 01:59 PM