RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 374 (HB 76) 2015 Regular Session Alfred Williams
Existing law provides for the City Court of Baton Rouge, domiciled in Baton Rouge and
having five city judges and a city constable. Provides that the court is divided into five
divisions, "A", "B", "C", "D", and "E" and its territorial jurisdiction shall extend throughout
the territorial area of the city of Baton Rouge as extended from time to time. Provides for
the purpose of electing judges, the court is divided into two election sections.
Prior law provided that two judges (divisions "B" and "D") were elected from election
section one and three judges (divisions "A", "C", and "E") were elected from election section
two.
New law changes the composition of election section one and election section two. Provides
that two judges (divisions "B" and "D") are elected from election section one and two judges
(divisions "A" and "E") are elected from election section two. Further, new law provides that
one judge (division "C") shall be elected from the entire territorial area of the city of Baton
Rouge at large. New law specifies that in addition to qualifications provided by law for a
judge of the Baton Rouge City Court, a candidate for a judgeship elected by either election
section need only be a resident of the city of Baton Rouge and that the provisions of new law
shall not be construed in any manner to decrease the term of any judge serving on the
effective date of new law or to prohibit any judge from seeking reelection in any division of
the court.
Prior law allowed the metropolitan council for the city of Baton Rouge, parish of East Baton
Rouge, to assign annexations which were approved subsequent to June 15, 1993, to the
appropriate election section.
New law allows the metropolitan council for the city of Baton Rouge, parish of East Baton
Rouge, to assign annexations which are approved subsequent to October 22, 2014, to the
appropriate election section.
Existing law requires the metropolitan council to submit such assignment by certified mail
or by hand delivery with receipt to the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental
Affairs and the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs for approval.
Provides that the committees have 45 days to determine, either jointly or separately, whether
the assignment shall be approved or disapproved. Specifies that if the time period for action
by the committees lapses without action by such committees, the assignment is deemed
approved, and if one or both committees disapprove the assignment, such assignment is not
effective for any purpose.
New law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions in new law are those
contained in the file named "2014 Precinct Shapefiles" published on the La. House of
Representatives website. Specifies that the 2014 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon those
Voting Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2010 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles
for the state of La. as those files have been modified by the staff of the legislature to
represent precinct changes submitted through Aug. 13, 2014, to the legislature by parish
governing authorities pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 18:532 and 532.1.
New law additionally provides that when a precinct is subdivided on a nongeographic or
geographic basis under existing law (R.S. 18:532.1), the general precinct designation in the
district description includes all nongeographic and geographic subdivisions of the precinct
within the corporate limits of Baton Rouge, and specifies that the territorial limits of the
election sections as provided in new law shall continue in effect without change regardless
of any changes made to the precincts by the parish governing authority. Specifically excepts
changes to the territorial limits made as provided in new law relative to annexations.
Effective upon signature of governor (July 1, 2015).
(Amends R.S. 13:1952(4))