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 896 Original 2016 Regular Session Garofalo
Abstract: Authorizes the clerical officers of the legislature to utilize the electronic system designed
for interim emergency fund ballots in lieu of mail for the transmission of other ballots,
petitions, and documentation to the members of the legislature.
Present law contains a variety of requirements for the consent, approval, or other declaration of the
members of the legislature, or either house, to be sought by mail ballot or petition, including any plan
to shorten the length of time between the close of voter registration and the election (R.S. 18:135.1);
emergency election plan (R.S. 18:401.3); veto session (R.S. 24:10); extraordinary session petition
(R.S. 24:11); speaker pro tempore assumption of duties of the speaker in the event of disability or
absence of the speaker (R.S. 24:504); president pro tempore assumption of duties of the president
in the event of disability or absence of the president (R.S. 24:507); negotiation of new casino
operating contract (R.S. 27:224); when the governor determines that there is need for a vote of the
legislature under the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 39, dealing with the operating budget and
division of administration operations generally (R.S. 39:87); sale of tobacco assets (R.S. 39:99.12);
sale of offshore royalty revenue assets (R.S. 39:99.36); removal of the state inspector general (R.S.
49:220.23); and specified cooperative endeavor agreements with Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas
(R.S. 51:1052).
Proposed law provides that whenever the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate are
required to send a ballot, petition, or other documentation to the members of the legislature by mail,
either by law or pursuant to the rules of procedure of the House of Representatives and the Senate,
and the clerk and the secretary jointly determine that it is feasible and desirable to utilize the system
designed pursuant to present law (R.S. 39:461.1– relative to interim emergency board ballots which
includes electronic transmission) instead of mail for the transmission of the ballot, petition, or other
documentation, then notwithstanding any requirement to the contrary, the clerk and the secretary
may utilize the system for the transmission of the ballot, petition, or other documentation in lieu of
mailing. Provides similar provisions for the clerk of the House for the transmission of ballots,
petitions, or documentation to members of the House of Representatives and for the secretary of the
Senate for the transmission of ballots, petitions, or documentation to members of the Senate.
Provides that when necessary to determine any deadline based upon a postmark, the transmission
date through the system shall serve as the postmark.
(Adds R.S. 24:15)