HLS 16RS-134 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 33
BY REPRESENTATIVE DANAHAY
ELECTIONS: Urges and requests the secretary of state to provide a mechanism to provide
all elections division employees within the Department of State who have received
CERA certification with a pay increase relative to such certification
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the secretary of state to establish policies to provide elections division
3 employees within the Department of State who have received CERA certification
4 with a pay increase relative to such certification.
5 WHEREAS, R.S. 18:59.4 establishes the Louisiana Voter Registration
6Administrator's Certification program to recognize the professional standards of registrars
7of voters, chief deputy registrars, and confidential assistants to registrars of voters in the
8state; and
9 WHEREAS, the program is designed to provide registrars of voters, chief deputy
10registrars, and confidential assistants educational courses and a curriculum to develop core
11skills required for election and voter registration administration and to establish additional
12professional bonds of achievement; and
13 WHEREAS, education and training for the program is provided through courses of
14the Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) program administered through
15Auburn University and the Election Center; and
16 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Voter Registration Administrator's Certification program
17requires a minimum of twelve CERA courses of twelve hours in length for a total of one
18hundred forty-four hours to be completed within five years; maintenance of a yearly rating
19of "excellent" the annual merit evaluation conducted pursuant to R.S. 18:55(A); five years
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HCR NO. 33
1work experience related to the administration of elections and voter registration; and
2completion of all continuing education course hours required to maintain certification; and
3 WHEREAS, if a registrar, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a
4registrar completes and maintains these requirements, the official is entitled to a seven
5percent compensation enhancement; and
6 WHEREAS, House Resolution No. 94 of the 2015 R.S. (HR No. 94) created a
7subcommittee of the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to examine matters
8relating to the compensation, evaluation, appointment, and placement within the structure
9of government of registrars of voters, payment of expenses incurred by a registrar of voters
10for early voting, and any related issues that the subcommittee deems appropriate; and
11 WHEREAS, during subcommittee hearings pursuant to HR No. 94, there was
12discussion concerning employees in the elections division of the Department of State who
13work with registrars of voters and employees of the registrar to administer elections, who
14are CERA certified, but who do not receive a compensation enhancement based on that
15certification; and
16 WHEREAS, the subcommittee voted to recommend that like registrars, chief deputy
17registrars, and confidential assistants to registrars, elections division employees within the
18Department of State who have received CERA certification receive a pay increase based on
19that certification—for unclassified employees, the pay increase should be in accordance with
20policies established by the secretary of state, and for classified employees, the pay increase
21should be in accordance with applicable civil service rules and regulations.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
23urge and request the secretary of state to establish policies to provide elections division
24employees within the Department of State who have received CERA certification with a pay
25increase relative to such certification.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
27to the secretary of state.
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HCR NO. 33
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 33 Original 2016 Regular Session Danahay
Requests the secretary of state to establish policies to provide elections division employees
within the Department of State who have received certification from the Certified Elections
Registration Administrator program administered through Auburn University and the
Election Center with a pay increase relative to such certification.
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