HLS 21RS-188 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 196
BY REPRESENTATIVE JORDAN
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CONSTITUTION/AMENDMENT: (Constitutional Amendment) Prohibits slavery and
involuntary servitude
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2Proposing to amend Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the
3 prohibition of slavery and involuntary servitude; to remove the exception to the
4 prohibition of involuntary servitude as punishment for crime; to provide for
5 submission of the proposed amendment to the electors; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
8elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state of
9Louisiana, for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to
10amend Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
11 §3. Right to Individual Dignity
12 Section 3. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws. No
13 law shall discriminate against a person because of race or religious ideas, beliefs, or
14 affiliations. No law shall arbitrarily, capriciously, or unreasonably discriminate
15 against a person because of birth, age, sex, culture, physical condition, or political
16 ideas or affiliations. Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except in the
17 latter case as punishment for crime.
18 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
19to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 8,
202022.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 21RS-188 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 196
1 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,
2there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
3to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
4follows:
5 Do you support an amendment to prohibit the use of involuntary servitude as
6 punishment for a crime? (Amends Article I, Section 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 196 Original 2021 Regular Session Jordan
Abstract: Removes punishment for crime as an exception to the prohibition of the use of
involuntary servitude.
Present constitution provides that slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except
in the case of involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
Proposed constitutional amendment removes the exception allowing for the use of
involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election
to be held Nov. 8, 2022.
(Amends Const. Art. I, §3)
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.