SLS 15RS-67 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 201
BY SENATOR GALLOT
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
VOTERS/VOTING. Constitutional amendment to provide for ballot initiatives. (2/3-
CA13s1(A))
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2 Proposing to amend Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the
3 exercise of legislative power; to provide for initiative power of the electorate; to
4 provide for the submission of initiatives to the electors; and to specify an election for
5 submission of the proposition to electors and provide a ballot proposition.
6 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
7 elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state, for
8 their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to amend Article III,
9 Section 1 of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
10 ยง1. Legislative Power; Composition; Continuous Body; Initiative Power
11 Section 1.(A) Legislative Power of State. The legislative power of the state
12 is vested in a legislature, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives;
13 subject to the power reserved to the people to propose statutes and amendments
14 to the constitution and to adopt or reject them. The Senate shall be composed of
15 one senator elected from each senatorial district. The House of Representatives shall
16 be composed of one representative elected from each representative district.
17 (B) Continuous Body. The legislature is a continuous body during the term
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 201
SLS 15RS-67 ORIGINAL
1 for which its members are elected; however, a bill or resolution not finally passed in
2 any session shall be withdrawn from the files of the legislature.
3 (C) An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting to the secretary
4 of state a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed statute or amendment
5 to the constitution and is certified to have been signed by electors, either in
6 person or electronically via the secretary of state's website. The secretary of
7 state shall then submit the measure at the next statewide general election.
8 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
9 to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on October 24,
10 2015.
11 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at said election
12 there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
13 to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
14 follows:
15 Do you support an amendment to give the power to propose statutes and
16 constitutional amendments and to adopt or reject them to the electorate of
17 Louisiana?
18 (Amends Article III, Section 1)
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ashley E. Menou.
DIGEST
SB 201 Original 2015 Regular Session Gallot
Present constitution vests the legislative power in a legislature consisting of the Senate and
House of Representatives and such legislature shall enact no law except by a bill introduced
during a legislative session and propose no constitutional amendment except by a joint
resolution introduced during a legislative session.
Proposed constitutional amendment gives citizens of Louisiana the power to propose statutes
and constitutional amendments via direct initiative and present such initiatives to the
electorate at the next statewide general election.
Proposed constitutional amendment provides that an initiative measure must be presented
to the secretary of state via a petition containing the language of the proposed statute or
constitutional amendment.
Proposed constitutional amendment provides that the petitions can be signed either in person
or electronically on the secretary of state's website.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 201
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Specifies submission of the amendment to the voters at the election to be held on October
24, 2015.
(Amends Const. Art. III, Sec. 1)
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.