HLS 15RS-869 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 650
BY REPRESENTATIVE STOKES
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
INTERIM EMERGENCY BOARD: Changes notification procedures and changes balloting
procedures for approval of capital outlay priority changes and project descriptions
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 39:461.4(C)(1) and to enact R.S. 39:461.4(B)(3) and (C)(3),
3 relative to the interim emergency board; to require the board to provide additional
4 information to members of the legislature; to provide notification to members of the
5 status of ballots; to require ballots to be invalidated and reissued if a sufficient
6 number are not received by a particular date; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 39:461.4(C)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
939:461.4(B)(3) and (C)(3) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 ยง461.4. Capital budget bond projects; priority changes; legislative consent;
11 procedure
12 * * *
13 B.
14 * * *
15 (3) The interim emergency board shall transmit notification to each member
16 of the legislature via electronic mail on the same day that the ballot is distributed to
17 the members. The notification shall include all of the following:
18 (a) The number of items on the proposed ballot.
19 (b) The vote required for passage of items on the ballot.
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HB NO. 650
1 (c) The date and time on which the ballot can be returned to the board in
2 order to be valid.
3 (d) Such other pertinent information as the board shall determine.
4 * * *
5 C.(1) (a) The ballots mailed to all members shall be postmarked on the same
6 day and shall be returned to the board within fifteen days after the postmarked date.
7 When such ballots are delivered to the members of the legislature while in session,
8 they shall be returned to the board within five days of the date which the board
9 secretary certifies as the date that the ballots were delivered to members then present
10 to which delivery was possible. No ballot received by the board after 5:00 p.m. on
11 the fifth day after the date on which the ballots were delivered to the members of the
12 legislature in session or after 5:00 p.m. on the fifteenth day after the date on which
13 the ballots were mailed shall be valid or counted, but the day and time received shall
14 be marked on each ballot received after such time and the ballot shall be marked
15 "Invalid". However, prior to 5:00 p.m. on the fifth day when delivered to the
16 members of the legislature while in session or prior to 5:00 p.m. on the fifteenth day
17 after the postmarked date if mailed to the members of the legislature, a member may
18 withdraw his ballot or change his vote upon his written request.
19 (b) If ballots are not received from at least seventy members of the House
20 of Representatives and at least twenty-six members of the Senate by the time and
21 date on which ballots are valid and counted, all ballots shall be deemed invalid and
22 shall not be opened by the board secretary pursuant to Subsection D of this Section.
23 New ballots shall be mailed or delivered to all members in accordance with
24 Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.
25 * * *
26 (3)(a) When such ballots are delivered to members of the legislature while
27 in session, the board shall transmit notification to each member of the legislature via
28 electronic mail on the fourth day after the date on which ballots were delivered
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1 which shall indicate whether the member's ballot has been received or has not been
2 received.
3 (b) When such ballots are mailed to the members of the legislature, the board
4 shall transmit notification to each member of the legislature via electronic mail on
5 the thirteenth day after the date on which the ballots were mailed which shall indicate
6 whether the member's ballot has been received or has not been received.
7 * * *
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)]
HB 650 Original 2015 Regular Session Stokes
Abstract: Requires electronic notifications regarding ballots submitted by the Interim
Emergency Board to the legislature for changes to capital outlay project priorities or
descriptions. Requires new balloting if ballots are not returned by at least 70 House
members and 26 Senators.
Present law authorizes changes in the priority for any capital outlay project or adjustment
to a project description of any capital outlay project if the Interim Emergency Board (IEB)
determines such change is necessary and the change is approved by a majority vote of the
elected members of each house of the legislature.
Proposed law requires the IEB to notify members of the legislature via e-mail on the same
day ballots are distributed to the members. Notification shall include information on the
proposed ballot, the vote requirement for passage of items on the ballot, the deadline for
returning ballots, and other pertinent information.
Present law requires ballots to be delivered to members if the legislature is in session and
requires ballots to be returned to the IEB by 5:00 on the fifth day after the date on which the
ballots were delivered. Requires ballots to be mailed to members if the legislature is not in
session and requires ballots to be returned by 5:00 PM on the fifteenth day after the date the
ballots were mailed.
Proposed law requires notification to members via e-mail on the fourth day after the date the
ballots were delivered when the legislature is in session and on the thirteenth day after the
date the ballots were mailed if the legislature is not in session. Notification shall indicate
whether or not the ballot has been received.
Proposed law requires all ballots to be invalidated if ballots are not submitted on time by at
least 70 members of the House and 26 members of the Senate. New ballots shall be mailed
or delivered to all members in accordance with present law.
(Amends R.S. 39:461.4(C)(1); Adds R.S. 39:461.4(B)(3) and (C)(3))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.