ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 969
BY REPRESENTATIVE SEABAUGH
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 24:10, relative to vetoes; to provide for procedures relative to
3 vetoed bills and items; to provide for reconsideration by the legislature; to provide
4 relative to veto sessions; to provide for effectiveness; and to provide for related
5 matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 24:10 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง10. Vetoed bills; return by the governor; veto session
9 A. A bill, except a joint resolution, shall become law if the governor signs
10 it or if he fails to sign or veto it within ten days after delivery to him if the legislature
11 is in session, or within twenty days if the legislature is adjourned.
12 B. If the governor does not approve a bill, he may veto it. When he vetoes
13 a bill, he shall return it to the legislature, with his veto message stating his reasons
14 for the veto, within twelve days after delivery to him if the legislature is in session.
15 C. A. Not later than twelve o'clock midnight of the twenty-third calendar day
16 after the sine die adjournment of each session of the legislature, the governor shall
17 transmit to the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House a statement of all
18 vetoed bills and any vetoed line item in an appropriation bill, which have not
19 previously been returned to the legislature in the session in which the bill passed and
20 shall at the same time return each such vetoed bill and the vetoed line item in an
21 appropriation bill to the chief clerical officer of the house of origin. Such statement
22 shall contain the bill number and title of each such vetoed bill, information regarding
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1 any vetoed line item in an appropriation bill, and the veto message for each stating
2 the reasons for the veto of the particular bill or item. No later than midnight of the
3 second day after receipt of such statement the secretary of the senate and the clerk
4 of the house shall transmit by certified or registered mail, or by any other receipted
5 written means, to each member of their respective houses a copy of the governor's
6 statement, a list of all bills and items in an appropriation bill vetoed by the governor
7 that have not previously been reconsidered during the session in which the bill
8 passed, and a form for declaration by the member that a veto session for
9 reconsideration of the listed vetoed bills and items is not necessary. The form for
10 such declaration shall contain a statement that the undersigned member finds that a
11 veto session to reconsider the bills listed in the governor's statement is not necessary
12 and shall also provide a designated place for the signature of the member responding.
13 D. B. Upon receipt of the copy of the governor's statement and the
14 declaration form, each legislator who finds that a veto session to reconsider the bills
15 listed in the governor's statement vetoed bills and items is not necessary shall sign
16 the form for such declaration and shall immediately return such the signed
17 declaration form to the presiding officer of the house of which he is a member. Each
18 presiding officer shall note the date and hour of receipt of each signed form he
19 receives and shall tabulate the number of members who have by return of such
20 signed form declared that a veto session is not necessary. Any other written
21 declaration by a member that such a session is not necessary which is received by
22 one of the presiding officers, shall be treated in the same manner as those received
23 on the form provided and shall be included in such tabulation. No declaration
24 received after twelve o'clock midnight noon of the thirty-fifth calendar day after sine
25 die adjournment of the legislature shall be counted and declarations received after
26 that time shall be null and void.
27 E. C. The presiding officers shall jointly transmit to each member of the
28 legislature the results of the tabulation of the declarations returned by the members
29 of the respective houses together with an announcement that the veto session is or
30 is not to be held and the date and time such session shall convene if it is to be held.
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1 No veto session shall be held if a majority of the elected members of either house
2 have declared in writing that a veto session is unnecessary.
3 F. D. Unless a majority of the elected members of either house has declared
4 in writing that a veto session is unnecessary, the legislature shall meet in veto session
5 in the state capital at noon on the fortieth day following final adjournment of the
6 most recent session, as provided in Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of
7 Louisiana to consider all bills and items vetoed by the governor not previously
8 reconsidered by the legislature during the session in which the vetoed bill or item in
9 an appropriations bill passed. If the fortieth day falls on Sunday, the session shall
10 convene at noon on the succeeding Monday. No veto session shall exceed five
11 calendar days, and any veto session may be finally adjourned prior to the end of the
12 fifth day upon the vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house.
13 E. However, if a veto session is to be held and the time period for the
14 conduct of the veto session occurs during a regular or extraordinary session of the
15 legislature, the legislature may reconsider all bills and items vetoed by the governor
16 not previously reconsidered by the legislature during the session in which the vetoed
17 bill or item in an appropriations bill passed as part of the business of that regular or
18 extraordinary session during the time period set forth in Article III, Section 18(C) of
19 the Constitution of Louisiana without the necessity of convening a separate veto
20 session.
21 G. F. A law enacted with the approval of a vetoed bill or item by two-thirds
22 of the elected members of each house during a veto session shall take effect on the
23 sixtieth day after final adjournment of the session in which it was originally finally
24 passed by both houses, unless such Act contains a different effective date as provided
25 in Article III, Section 19 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If the Act contains a
26 different specific effective date, it shall become effective on said date, unless the date
27 is prior to the time of approval by both houses during a veto session by the required
28 vote, in which case it shall become effective upon such approval.
29 Section 2. The provisions of R.S. 24:10(A), (B), (C), (D), and (F) as amended and
30 reenacted by this Act shall become effective on August 1, 2022.
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1 Section 3. The provisions of R.S. 24:10(E) as amended and reenacted by this Act
2 shall take effect and become operative if and when the proposed amendment of Article III,
3 Section 18(C) of the Constitution of Louisiana contained in the Act which originated as
4 House Bill No. 166 of this 2022 Regular Session of the Legislature is adopted at a statewide
5 election and becomes effective.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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