HLS 13RS-475 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE BILL NO. 88
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHAMPAGNE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
ELECTED OFFICIALS/TERMS: (Constitutional Amendment) Provides term limits for
certain statewide elected officials
A JOINT RESOLUTION1
Proposing to amend Article IV, Section 3(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to provide a2
limitation on the number of terms a person may serve in certain statewide elected3
offices; to provide for submission of the proposed amendment to the electors; and4
to provide for related matters.5
Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members6
elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state of7
Louisiana, for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to8
amend Article IV, Section 3(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:9
§3. Election; Term 10
Section 3.11
* * *12
(B) Limitation on Governor and other Statewide Elected Officials. (1) A13
person who has served as governor for more than one and one-half terms in two14
consecutive terms shall not be elected governor for the succeeding term.15
(2) Except as otherwise provided in Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph, a16
person who has served in a statewide elected office for more than two and one-half17
terms in three consecutive terms, that service being during a term of office that began18
on or after January 9, 2012, shall not be elected to that same office for the succeeding19
term. For purposes of this Subparagraph, the term "statewide elected official" shall20 HLS 13RS-475 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 88
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mean those officials listed in Paragraph (A) of this Section who are elected1
statewide.2
* * *3
Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted4
to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 4,5
2014.6
Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,7
there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted8
to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as9
follows:10
Do you support an amendment to provide that, except as provided for the11
governor, no person who has served as a statewide elected official for more12
than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms shall be elected to13
that same office for the next term? (Amends Article IV, Section 3(B))14
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Champagne HB No. 88
Abstract: Provides a limit of three consecutive terms for election to the same statewide
elected office (except for the office of governor) by prohibiting a person who has
served for more than 2-1/2 terms in three consecutive terms from being elected to the
same statewide elected office for the succeeding term (applicable to service on or
after Jan. 9, 2012).
Present constitution provides that the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
attorney general, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, and commissioner of insurance are
statewide elected officials, and each shall be elected for a four-year term and that the term
of each such official shall begin at noon on the second Monday in Jan. next following the
election.
Present constitution additionally provides that no person who has served as governor for
more than 1-1/2 terms in two consecutive terms shall be elected governor for the succeeding
term.
Proposed constitutional amendment retains present constitution and additionally provides
that, except as otherwise provided for the governor, no person who has served in one of the
statewide elected offices for more than 2-1/2 terms in three consecutive terms, that service
being during a term of office that began on or after Jan. 9, 2012, shall be elected to that same
office for the succeeding term. HLS 13RS-475 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 88
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Present constitution, relative to the offices of commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of
insurance, superintendent of education, and commissioner of elections, authorizes the
legislature, by 2/3rds vote, to decide whether these positions are filled by appointment or
statewide election. Proposed constitutional amendment applies to any of these offices if
filled by election.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election
to be held Nov. 4, 2014.
(Amends Const. Art. IV, §3(B))