HLS 15RS-3755 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 195
BY REPRESENTATIVE STUART BISHOP
JUDGES: Requests the Louisiana Supreme Court to make financial disclosure reports
available for viewing on the internet
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
1To urge and request the Louisiana Supreme Court to allow the public to review personal
2 financial disclosure reports of judges filed with the office of the judicial
3 administrator by making the reports available for viewing on the internet.
4 WHEREAS, in 2008, the Louisiana Legislature enacted personal financial disclosure
5requirements for each person holding statewide elected office, the secretary of each state
6agency, the Public Service Commission Executive Secretary, the State Civil Service
7Director, the Superintendent of Education, the Commissioner of Higher Education, president
8of each public postsecondary education system, the Commissioner of Administration, senior
9staff of the Office of the Governor, members of the Louisiana Legislature, members of the
10Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Superintendent of the Recovery School
11District, members of the Ethics Adjudicatory Board, members of the Board of Ethics, the
12administrator of the Ethics Administration, the executive director of the Louisiana Housing
13Corporation, members of the Board of Pardons, local elected officials representing a voting
14district with a population above or below 5,000, members of the State Civil Service
15Commission, members of the Board of Commissioners of the Louisiana Stadium and
16Exposition District, each member of the governing authority or management board of a
17charter school, and each member or designees of members of a board or commission that has
18the authority to expend, disburse, or invest ten thousand dollars or more of funds in a fiscal
19year; and
20 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has statutorily mandated that personal
21financial disclosure reports filed by these officials be made available on a website by the
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HCR NO. 195
1Board of Ethics "to enhance the public’s ability to gather information easily regarding the
2conduct of elected officials, public employees, and other persons regulated by the board";
3and
4 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Ethics Administration complies with state law and
5maintains a website with thousands of personal financial disclosure statements available for
6public viewing, including a searchable database; and
7 WHEREAS, Louisiana has been nationally recognized for the adoption of personal
8financial disclosure laws for legislators, receiving the number one ranking in the country
9with an "A" grade by the Center for Public Integrity for legislative financial disclosure
10requirements; and
11 WHEREAS, the Louisiana State Senate passed Senate Resolution No. 6 in the First
12Extraordinary Session in 2008, urging and requesting the Louisiana Supreme Court to adopt
13the same financial disclosure standards for judges that are applicable to other elected
14officials in the Code of Governmental Ethics; and
15 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Supreme Court subsequently adopted Rule XXXIX to
16require all elected judges, except justices of the peace, to annually file a financial statement
17with the office of the judicial administrator of the Louisiana Supreme Court that is
18substantially similar to the requirements in statute for legislative personal financial
19disclosure statements; and
20 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Supreme Court maintains a website that includes Rule
21XXXIX, the blank financial statement form required by Rule XXXIX, and a list of persons
22who have failed to file, failed to timely file, failed to provide omitted information, or failed
23to provide accurate information as required by Rule XXXIX; and
24 WHEREAS, Rule XXXIX specifies that the financial statements required by the
25Louisiana Supreme Court are a matter of public record and are subject to public inspection
26and copying; and
27 WHEREAS, members of the public are unable to view the financial statements of
28elected judges across Louisiana, without making a formal records request to the Louisiana
29Supreme Court in New Orleans; and
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HCR NO. 195
1 WHEREAS, the purpose of financial disclosure of elected officials is to promote
2public access and oversight, discourage potential conflicts of interest, and enhance public
3confidence in the integrity of state government, including the judiciary; and
4 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Supreme Court maintains the authority to redact any
5sensitive information necessary for the safety of judges prior to publication; and
6 WHEREAS, it would greatly benefit the public interest and the integrity of the
7judiciary for the Louisiana Supreme Court to enhance the public's ability to gather
8information easily regarding the conduct of the judiciary.
9 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
10urge and request the Louisiana Supreme Court to allow the public to review disclosure
11reports filed with the office of the judicial administrator by making the reports available for
12viewing on the internet.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
14chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
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)]
HCR 195 Original 2015 Regular Session Stuart Bishop
Requests the Louisiana Supreme Court to allow the public to review personal financial
disclosure reports of judges filed with the office of the judicial administrator by making the
reports available for viewing on the internet.
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