HLS 21RS-900 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 425
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILFORD CARTER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
JUDGES/SUPREME COURT: (Constitutional Amendment) Increases the number of
associate supreme court justices and increases the required number of justices
concurring in order to render judgment
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2Proposing to amend Article V, Section 3 of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the
3 supreme court; to provide for the number of justices of the supreme court; to provide
4 for the number of justices required to concur in order to render judgment; to provide
5 for 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 V, Section 3 of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
11 §3. Supreme Court; Composition; Judgments; Terms
12 Section 3. The supreme court shall be composed of a chief justice and six
13 eight associate justices, four five of whom must concur to render judgment. The
14 term of a supreme court judge shall be ten years.
15 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
16to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on October 9,
172021.
18 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,
19there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 21RS-900 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 425
1to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
2follows:
3 Do you support an amendment to add two associate justices to the supreme
4 court and to require the concurrence of five justices to render judgment?
5 (Amends Article V, 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 425 Original 2021 Regular Session Wilford Carter
Abstract: Provides for eight associate supreme court justices and requires the concurrence
of five justices to render judgment.
Present constitution provides that the supreme court shall be composed of a chief justice and
six associate justices, four of whom must concur to render judgment.
Present constitution also provides that the term of a supreme court judge shall be 10 years.
Proposed constitution increases the number of associate justices from six to eight, and
increases from four to five the number of justices who must concur to render judgment.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election
to be held Oct. 9, 2021.
(Amends Const. Art. V, §3)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.