Governor Bobby Jindal issued an executive order for a limited hiring freeze for 29 state departments, agencies or budget items for the remainder of the fiscal year as he prepares to tackle an expected $1.3 billion budget shortfall expected in the 2009 fiscal year.

Tim Mueller / Associated Press

The hiring freeze is ordered for 29 departments, agencies, or budget units in the executive branch, exempting positions specifically related to direct patient care and those critical to the safety of the public, as well as authorizing higher education institutions to implement the freeze.

“This hiring freeze will save money to help us deal with hurricane recovery costs this year and help us be better prepared to control the size and expense of government as we plan next year’s budget,” said Jindal. “This is only one part of what will need to be a very broad approach aimed at cutting costs and reducing state spending, as we face a $1.3 billion budget shortfall.”

The hiring freeze is aimed at achieving at least $25 million in state general fund savings during the remainder of the current fiscal year, which runs through June of 2009.  A similar hiring freeze ordered at the start of the Jindal administration saved $39 million in the state general fund.

Among the agencies and departments under the limited hiring freeze are: Executive, Veterans Affairs, Economic Development, Transportation and Development, Corrections Services, Public Safety Services, Youth Services, Health and Hospitals, Social Services, Natural Resources, Revenue, Environmental Quality, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Wildlife and Fisheries, Civil Service, State Civil Service, Municipal Fire and Police  Civil Service, Ethics Administration, State Police Commission, Division of Administrative Law, Higher Education, Department of Education, Special Schools and Commissions, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Louisiana School for the Deaf, Louisiana Special Education Center, Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, Office of Student Financial Assistance, Louisiana Educational TV Authority, Board of Elementary & Secondary Education, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts.