RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 674 (HB 896) 2016 Regular Session Garofalo
Existing 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).
New law provides that if 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 existing 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 electronic
transmission system for such transmission. Provides similar provisions with respect to
transmissions to members of a single chamber. Provides that when necessary to determine
any deadline based upon a postmark, the transmission date through the system shall serve as
the postmark.
Effective August 1, 2016.
(Adds R.S. 24:15)