§ 24:152 — Suits against state or political subdivision; omnibus bill or resolution; form; legal proof of authority

A. All bills and concurrent resolutions authorizing suits against the state or any political subdivision of the state upon claims for damages alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees thereof which are filed on or before the last day for introducing bills shall be referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Section A (or such other committee as the Senate may by rule or resolution direct) if filed in the Senate or to the House Committee on Judiciary, Section A (or such other committee as the House of Representatives may by rule or resolution direct) if filed in the House of Representatives. Each of said committees shall report all such bills of which it approves in an omnibus type substitute bill, and each of said committees shall report all such concurrent resolutions of which it approves in an omnibus type substitute concurrent resolution. It is the intent of this Section that there shall be one omnibus senate bill and one omnibus senate concurrent resolution and likewise one omnibus house bill and one omnibus house concurrent resolution.
B. The omnibus type substitute bill and the omnibus type substitute concurrent resolution referred to in Subsection A shall be substantially in the following form:
"SENATE (HOUSE) BILL NO.
OR
SENATE (HOUSE) CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.
By Mr. _____________________ Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Section A (Substitute for Senate (House) Bill No. ________ by Mr. _______________)
"AN ACT (or A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: (or
Be it resolved by the Senate (House) of the Legislature of Louisiana, the House of Representatives (Senate) thereof concurring herein that:)
"Section 1. The following named persons, either individually or individually and for the use and benefit of certain other persons, as hereinafter specifically provided, are hereby authorized to file suit against the State of Louisiana or one of its political subdivisions, as the case may be, through the state board, commission, department or agency or through the department, commission, agency or officer of the political subdivision hereinafter specified as to each person hereinafter named upon each of their respective claims for damages alleged to have been sustained at the times and for the reasons hereinafter specified as to each person hereinafter named and alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the department, agency or political subdivision hereinafter specified as to each person hereinafter named: . . .
NOTE: In this space, list the names of those persons being authorized to sue, and following each name, insert the necessary information concerning the authorization to sue; the name of the defendant (state, parish, commission, board, agency, etc.) the name of the department, board, agency, commission, officer, etc., through which or whom the defendant is to be sued; the date and place of the occurrence of the damages, and the statement that such damages were caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the defendant by reason of an accident or other appropriate circumstances. Following are several examples:
1. John Doe is hereby authorized to file suit against the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Highways, upon his claim for damages alleged to have been sustained on or about February 1, 1965 by reason of an accident which occurred at or near Baton Rouge, Louisiana and alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the Louisiana Department of Highways.
2. John Doe and Helen Doe are hereby authorized to file suit individually and for the use and benefit of their minor child, Richard Doe, against the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, upon their claims for damages alleged to have been sustained on or about March 1, 1965 by reason of an accident which occurred on Lake Salvador and alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
3. John Doe is hereby authorized to file suit against the parish of East Baton Rouge, through the East Baton Rouge Recreation and Parks Commission, upon his claim for damages alleged to have been sustained on or about May 1, 1965 by reason of an accident which occurred on the Baton Rouge City Park golf course and alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the East Baton Rouge Recreation and Parks Commission.
4. John Doe is hereby authorized to file suit individually and for the use and benefit of his minor son against the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board for damages alleged to have been sustained on or about November 5, 1965 by reason of an accident which occurred at or near Lee High School and alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
"Section 2. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as conferring upon any of the persons hereinabove named any different or greater claims or cause of action than was had before adoption of this Act and, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the effect of this authorization shall be nothing more than a waiver of prescription and a waiver of the immunity from suit and from liability of the state and/or any other political subdivision hereinafter named insofar as the suits herein authorized are concerned.
"Section 3. If any provision or item of this Act (or Concurrent Resolution) or the application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this Act (or Concurrent Resolution) which can be given effect without the invalid provisions, items or applications, and to this end the provisions of this Act (or Concurrent Resolution) are hereby declared severable.
"Section 4. All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed." (Do not include repealer clause if a concurrent resolution)
C. Any person obtaining legislative authorization to prosecute such an action by means of one or more provisions forming a part of an omnibus bill or resolution enacted into law or properly adopted by the legislature, shall be deemed to have legally proved such authority by the presentation to the court in which the action is brought of a certified copy or extract of that portion or portions of said bill or resolution which contains information relative only to such person, namely, the name of the person or persons authorized to institute the particular action; the name of the defendant; the name of the department, board, agency, commission, officer or other person or entity against whom and/or through which or whom the defendant is to be sued; the date and place of the occurrence of the damages; the statement that such damages were caused by the negligence of the officers, agents and/or employees of the defendant by reason of an accident or other appropriate circumstances, and the provisions waiving the immunity of the state from liability and from suit and waiving prescription. The claimant shall not be required to furnish to the court a copy of the entire omnibus bill or resolution containing the provisions relating to his particular authorization.
The secretary of state shall comply with the minimum requirements for such proof of authority by furnishing to any such claimant a copy of only that portion of the required legislation herein described and shall not require that a copy of the entire bill or resolution, or any unnecessary pages thereof, be purchased by such claimant.

Legislative History

Acts 1966, No. 285, §§1, 2. Amended by Acts 1970, No. 507, §1.