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 18 Original 2022 First Extraordinary Session Wilford Carter
Abstract: Provides for the redistricting of the state's supreme court and provides for the
composition of seven supreme court districts. Effective for election purposes for the regular
supreme court District 6 election in 2022 and for all purposes on Jan. 1, 2023.
Statistical summaries of proposed law including maps illustrating proposed district
boundaries accompany this digest. (Attached to the bill version on the internet.)
Present constitution (Const. Art. V, §3) provides the supreme court must be composed of a chief
justice and six associate justices.
Present constitution (Const. Art. V, §4) provides the state must be divided into at least six supreme
court districts, and at least one judge shall be elected from each. Further provides the districts and
the number of judges assigned to each on the effective date of this constitution are retained, subject
to change by law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
Proposed law redraws district boundaries for the seven supreme court districts.
Proposed law provides the district boundaries will be effective upon signature of the governor or
lapse of time for gubernatorial action for the purposes of qualifying for election and the election of
a member of the supreme court from District 6 at the regularly scheduled election for such office in
2022.
Proposed law provides for subsequent elections of members of the supreme court and for all other
purposes an effective date of Jan. 1, 2023, at which time present law is repealed and proposed
districts are effective for all other purposes.
Proposed law repeals present law that provides for an additional judgeship for the Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit who is assigned to the La. Supreme Court.
Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions are those precincts identified
as Voting Districts (VTDs) in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the state
of La. as validated through the data verification program of the La. legislature. Also specifies that
if any such precinct has been subdivided by action of the parish governing authority on a
nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish governing authority on a geographic basis
in accordance with present law, the enumeration of the general precinct designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof. Further provides that the territorial limits
of the districts as enacted shall continue in effect until changed by law regardless of any subsequent
change made to the precincts by the parish governing authority.
Population data in the summaries accompanying this digest are derived from 2020 Census
Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171), Summary File for Louisiana. Population data, statistical
information, and maps are supplied for purposes of information and analysis and comprise no part
of proposed law.
Effective for election purposes only for the supreme court District 6 election in 2022; effective for
other purposes Jan. 1, 2023.
(Adds R.S. 13:101.2 and 101.3; Repeals R.S. 13:101, 101.1, and 312.4)