The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Riley Boudreaux.
DIGEST
Present law requires all public bodies, except the legislature and its committees and
subcommittees, to give written public notice of any regular, special, or rescheduled meeting no
later than 24 hours before the meeting.
Present constitution defines "political subdivision" as a parish, municipality, and any other unit
of local government, including a school board and a special district, which is authorized by law
to perform governmental functions.
Proposed law, in addition to other requirements of the Open Meetings Law, requires public
notice of the date, time, and place and of any meeting at which any political subdivision as
defined in Const. Art. VI, Sec. 44(2) (above) intends to consider or take action to (1) levy,
increase, renew, or continue any ad valorem property tax or sales and use tax or (2) authorize the
calling of an election for submittal of such question to the voters of the political subdivision, to
be both published in the official journal of the political subdivision no more than 60 days nor less
than 30 days before the public hearing and to be announced to the public during the course of a
public meeting of such political subdivision during that time period.
Proposed law provides that in the event of cancellation or postponement of such a meeting,
notice of any subsequent meeting to consider such proposal must be published in the official
journal of the political subdivision no less than 10 days before the subsequent meeting.
However, in the event that consideration of or action upon the proposal was postponed at the
scheduled meeting, or the proposal was considered at the scheduled meeting without action or
vote, then any subsequent meeting to consider the proposal must be published 10 days before the
subsequent meeting unless the date, time, and place of the subsequent meeting for consideration
of the proposal is announced to the public during the course of such meeting.
Present law imposes certain publication requirements on ad valorem property tax recipient bodies
which hold public hearings for the purpose of levying additional or increased property tax
millages on property without further voter approval.
Proposed law excludes such public meetings from the provisions of the proposed law.
Effective August 1, 2013.
(Amends R.S. 42:19; adds R.S. 42:19.1)