HLS 20RS-170 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 23
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAGLEY
JUDGES/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Provides relative to age qualifications for justices of the
peace
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:2582(A), relative to justices of the peace; to provide relative
3 to qualifications; to provide for the elimination of the age limit of justices of the
4 peace; and to provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:2582(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง2582. Justices of the peace; qualifications; election; term of office; nullity; persons
8 ineligible
9 A.(1) Each justice of the peace shall be of good moral character, a qualified
10 elector, a resident of the ward and district from which elected, and able to read and
11 write the English language correctly. Each person qualifying for the office of justice
12 of the peace shall possess a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by
13 the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by the date of qualification
14 to run for office beginning in the year 2008. Each shall possess such other
15 qualifications as are provided by law.
16 (2)(a) Beginning in the year 2008, to qualify to run for the office of justice
17 of the peace, a person shall not have attained the age of seventy years by the date of
18 qualification to run for office. A justice of the peace who attains seventy years of
19 age while serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office.
20 (b) The provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall not apply to
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 20RS-170 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 23
1 those justices of the peace who are serving as a justice of the peace or elected to the
2 office of justice of the peace on or before August 15, 2006.
3 * * *
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 23 Original 2020 Regular Session Bagley
Abstract: Eliminates the age limit for all justices of the peace.
Present law provides that beginning in the year 2008, to qualify to run for the office of
justice of the peace, a person shall not have attained the age of seventy years by the date of
qualification to run for office.
Present law further provides that a justice of the peace who attains seventy years of age
while serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office.
Present law also provides that the present law provision shall not apply to those justices of
the peace who are serving as a justice of the peace or elected to the office of justice of the
peace on or before Aug. 15, 2006.
Proposed law eliminates the age limit for all justices of the peace.
(Amends R.S. 13:2582(A))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.