HLS 22RS-600 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 205
BY REPRESENTATIVE BISHOP
LEGISLATORS/TERMS: (Constitutional Amendment) Provides relative to the term
limitations applicable to legislators
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2Proposing to amend Article III, Section 4(E) of the Constitution of Louisiana and to repeal
3 Article III, Section 4(E)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to provide relative to the
4 term limitations applicable to members of the legislature; to provide for submission
5 of the proposed amendment to the electors; to provide for effectiveness; and to
6 provide for related 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 III, Section 4(E) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
11 §4. Qualifications; Residence and Domicile Requirements; Term; Election
12 Limitations; Vacancies; Temporary Successors; Salary
13 Section 4.
14 * * *
15 (E) Election Limitation. (1) No person who has been elected to serve as a
16 member of the Senate for more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive
17 terms, that service being during a term of office that began on or after January 8,
18 1996, shall be elected to the Senate for the succeeding term. No person who has
19 been elected to serve as a member of the House of Representatives for more than two
20 and one-half terms in three consecutive terms, that service being during a term of
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 22RS-600 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 205
1 office that began on or after January 8, 1996, shall be elected to the House of
2 Representatives for the succeeding term.
3 (2) Effective beginning January 8, 2024, no person who has been elected to
4 serve as a member of the Senate for more than three and one-half terms in four
5 consecutive terms, that service being during a term of office that began on or after
6 January 11, 2016, shall be elected to the Senate for the succeeding term. Effective
7 beginning January 8, 2024, no person who has been elected to serve as a member of
8 the House of Representatives for more than three and one-half terms in four
9 consecutive terms, that service being during a term of office that began on or after
10 January 11, 2016, shall be elected to the House of Representatives for the succeeding
11 term.
12 * * *
13 Section 2. Be it further resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the
14members elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of
15the state of Louisiana, for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a
16proposal to repeal Article III, Section 4(E)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana effective
17January 8, 2024.
18 Section 3. 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.
21 Section 4. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,
22there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
23to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
24follows:
25 Do you support an amendment to prohibit a person who has been elected to
26 serve as a member of one house of the legislature for more than three and
27 one-half terms in four consecutive terms, that service being during a term of
28 office that began on or after January 11, 2016, from being elected to the same
29 house of the legislature for the succeeding term and to repeal the existing
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 22RS-600 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 205
1 limitation of two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms in the same
2 house of legislature? (Effective January 8, 2024) (Amends Article III,
3 Section 4(E); Repeals Article III, Section 4(E)(1))
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 205 Original 2022 Regular Session Bishop
Abstract: Effective Jan. 8, 2024, changes the term limitation on legislators to three and
one-half of four consecutive terms in the same house of the legislature, beginning
with service on or after Jan. 11, 2016.
Present constitution prohibits a person who has been elected to serve as a member of the
Senate for more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms, that service being
during a term of office that began on or after Jan. 8, 1996, from being to the Senate for the
succeeding term and prohibits a person who has been elected to serve as a member of the
House of Representatives for more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms,
that service being during a term of office that began on or after Jan. 8, 1996, from being
elected to the House for the succeeding term.
Proposed constitutional amendment repeals these provisions effective Jan. 8, 2024.
Proposed constitutional amendment provides a new limitation effective Jan. 8, 2024, to
prohibit a person who has been elected to serve as a member of the Senate for more than
three and one-half terms in four consecutive terms, that service being during a term of office
that began on or after Jan. 11, 2016, from being elected to the Senate for the succeeding term
and prohibits a person who has been elected to serve as a member of the House of
Representatives for more than three and one-half terms in four consecutive terms, that
service being during a term of office that began on or after Jan. 11, 2016, from being elected
to the House for the succeeding term.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election
to be held Nov. 8, 2022.
(Amends Const. Art. III, §4(E); Repeals Const. Art. III, §4(E)(1))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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