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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 501
BY REPRESENTATIVE WESLEY BISHOP
VOTING/REGISTRATION: Provides for voter registration at age sixteen upon application
for a driver's license
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 18:114(B)(1) and 173(A) and (D)(1) and to enact R.S.2
18:101(A)(3), relative to voter registration; to provide for the "Louisiana Motor3
Voter Preregistration Act"; to provide relative to qualifications for voter registration;4
to allow persons who are sixteen years of age to register to vote under certain5
circumstances; to provide relative to voter registration at driver's license facilities;6
to provide relative to certain reports to election officials concerning deaths; and to7
provide for related matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana Motor Voter10
Preregistration Act".11
Section 2. R.S. 18:114(B)(1) and 173(A) and (D)(1) are hereby amended and12
reenacted and R.S. 18:101(A)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows: 13
§101. Registration to vote; qualifications; more than one residence; presidential14
elections15
A.16
* * *17
(3) A person who is sixteen years of age may register to vote in the manner18
provided in R.S. 18:114(B)(1). However, no one under the age of eighteen years19
shall be permitted to vote in any election.20
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§114. Registration at driver's license facilities1
* * *2
B.(1) Each application to obtain, renew, or change the name or address on3
a driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety and4
Corrections made by an applicant who is eighteen years or older shall also serve as5
an application for voter registration by the applicant unless the applicant declines to6
register to vote through specific declination or by failing to sign the voter registration7
application. Each application to obtain a driver's license issued by the Department8
of Public Safety and Corrections made by an applicant who is sixteen years old shall9
also serve as an application for voter registration by the applicant unless the10
applicant declines to register to vote through specific declination or by failing to sign11
the voter registration application. In addition, any person age seventeen may register12
to vote at any time prior to the first election at which he shall have attained the age13
of eighteen years. However, no one under the age of eighteen years shall be14
permitted to vote in any election.15
* * *16
§173. Deaths17
A. By the tenth day of each month, the secretary of the Department of Health18
and Hospitals shall send to the registrar in each parish a report, certified as correct19
over his signature or the signature of his authorized representative, containing the20
name, address, and sex of each person of at least seventeen sixteen years of age who21
died in the parish within the preceding calendar month.22
* * *23
D.(1) By the tenth day of each month, the secretary of the Department of24
Health and Hospitals shall send to the Department of State a report, certified as25
correct over his signature or the signature of his authorized representative, containing26
the name, address, date of birth, sex, and social security number, as such information27 HLS 14RS-1419 ENGROSSED
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exists in the database of the Department of Health and Hospitals, of any person1
seventeen sixteen years of age or older who died in each parish of the state within the2
preceding calendar month.3
* * *4
Section 3. This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2015.5
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)]
Wesley Bishop HB No. 501
Abstract: Allows a person who is sixteen years of age to register to vote by making
application in connection with an application to obtain a driver's license.
Present law (R.S. 18:101) provides that every citizen of La. who is at least 18 years of age
and meets certain other requirements shall be eligible to vote. Provides, however, that any
person who is 17 years old who is otherwise qualified to vote may register to vote at any
time prior to the first election at which the person shall have attained the age of 18. Provides
that no one under the age of 18 may vote in any election.
Proposed law retains present law. Additionally provides that a person who is 16 years of age
may register to vote in the manner provided in proposed law. However, provides that no one
under the age of 18 years shall be permitted to vote in any election.
Present law (R.S. 18:114) provides for voter registration at driver's license facilities.
Provides that each application to obtain, renew, or change the name or address on a driver's
license or identification card issued by the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections made by
an applicant who is 18 years or older shall also serve as an application for voter registration
by the applicant unless the applicant declines to register to vote through specific declination
or by failing to sign the voter registration application. Provides that in addition, any person
age 17 may register to vote at any time prior to the first election at which he attains the age
of 18 years. Provides that no one under the age of 18 years shall be permitted to vote in any
election.
Proposed law retains present law. Additionally provides that each application to obtain a
driver's license issued by the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections made by an applicant
who is 16 years old shall also serve as an application for voter registration by the applicant
unless the applicant declines to register to vote through specific declination or by failing to
sign the voter registration application.
Present law (R.S. 18:173) provides for reporting by the Dept. of Health and Hospitals
regarding deaths. Requires the department to send a report each month to the registrar of
voters in each parish regarding persons in the parish who died in the preceding month and
to the Dept. of State regarding persons in each parish in the state who died in the preceding
month.
Proposed law retains present law. HLS 14RS-1419 ENGROSSED
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Present law provides that the reports shall include information concerning persons who were
at least 17 years of age. Proposed law instead provides that the reports shall include
information concerning persons who were at least 16 years of age.
Effective Jan. 1, 2015.
(Amends R.S. 18:114(B)(1) and 173(A) and (D)(1); Adds R.S. 18:101(A)(3))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental
Affairs to the original bill.
1. Limits proposed law voter registration by a person who is 16 years old by
providing that such a person may register to vote only by applying to obtain a
driver's license issued by the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections.
2. Provides that proposed law becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2015.
3. Provides that proposed law shall be known as the "Louisiana Motor Voter
Preregistration Act" instead of the "Louisiana Preregistration Voting Act".