HLS 20RS-314 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 69
BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
JUDGES/JUSTICE OF PEACE: Provides relative to the term of office for justices of the
peace
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:2582(A) and (B), relative to justices of the peace; to provide
3 relative to the term of office for justices of the peace; to eliminate the maximum age
4 limitation; to establish a limitation of terms of office; to extend the term of office for
5 justices of the peace; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 13:2582(A) and (B) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
8follows:
9 ยง2582. Justices of the peace; qualifications; election; term of office; nullity; persons
10 ineligible
11 A.(1) Each justice of the peace shall be of good moral character, a qualified
12 elector, a resident of the ward and district from which elected, and able to read and
13 write the English language correctly. Each person qualifying for the office of justice
14 of the peace shall possess a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by
15 the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by the date of qualification
16 to run for office in the year 2008. Each shall possess such other qualifications as are
17 provided by law.
18 (2)(a) Beginning in the year 2008, to qualify to run for the office of justice
19 of the peace, a person shall not have attained the age of seventy years by the date of
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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HB NO. 69
1 qualification to run for office. A justice of the peace who attains seventy years of
2 age while serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office.
3 (b) The provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall not apply to
4 those justices of the peace who are serving as a justice of the peace or elected to the
5 office of justice of the peace on or before August 15, 2006.
6 B.(1) Justices of the peace shall be elected at the congressional election for
7 terms of six ten years by the qualified voters within the territorial limits of their
8 jurisdiction. They shall take office on the first day of January following election.
9 (2) No person who has been elected to serve as justice of the peace for more
10 than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms, that service being during a
11 term of office that began on or after January 1, 2021, shall be elected as justice of the
12 peace for a succeeding term.
13 * * *
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 69 Original 2020 Regular Session Green
Abstract: Eliminates the maximum age limitation for justices of the peace, implements a
three-term limitation, and extends the term of office from six to 10 years.
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 70 years by the date of
qualification to run for office.
Present law also provides that a justice of the peace who attains 70 years of age while
serving a term of office shall be allowed to complete that term of office.
Proposed law repeals the present law provision that, to qualify to run for the office of justice
of the peace, a person shall not have attained the age of 70 years.
Present law requires each justice of the peace to be a resident of the ward and district from
which elected and to be able to read and write the English language correctly.
Present law provides that justices of the peace shall be elected at the congressional election
for terms of six years by the qualified voters within the territorial limits of their jurisdiction
and shall take office on the first day of January following election.
Proposed law retains present law but changes the term of office from six to 10 years for
justices of the peace.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 20RS-314 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 69
Proposed law prohibits a person from serving as justice of the peace for more than two and
a half terms in three consecutive terms if the term of office begins on or after Jan. 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 13:2582(A) and (B))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.