RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 8 (HB 65) 2020 Regular Session Dwight
Existing law provides that during the six months preceding a gubernatorial election and
during the time interval between the gubernatorial election and the first day of July following
election, it shall be unlawful for any sheriff to engage in any of the following:
(1)Increasing the number of deputies or employees in his office by more than five
percent over the average number of such employees for each of the first six months
of the 12 months preceding the election.
(2)Increasing the payroll or other operating expenses of his office more than 15% over
its average amount of such expenditures for each of the first six months of the 12
months preceding the election.
(3)Transferring title and ownership of the capital assets of his office of a value in excess
of 10% of the total value of assets as reflected in the current inventory filed in the
office of the sheriff on the date of the primary election.
Existing law provides that these provisions shall not apply when the increases or decreases
are necessitated by flood, invasion by common enemy, or other public emergency; nor to any
increase based upon the utilization of additional revenue from a tax district election or to an
increase necessitated by the completion of a new or expansion of an existing prison facility
or an emergency communications call or dispatch center.
New law extends the existing law exceptions to apply to the following:
(1)An incumbent sheriff, against whom no person has qualified to run, for any transfers
or increases that occur after the date the qualifying period closes for the gubernatorial
election through the first day of July following the election.
(2)An incumbent sheriff, who is reelected to office, for any transfers or increases that
occur after the date the official election results are declared by the election official
through the first day of July following the election.
Effective Aug. 1, 2020.
(Amends R.S. 14:139.1(C))