The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 309 Original 2022 Regular Session Hewitt
Present constitution (Const. Art. V, §3) provides the supreme court must be composed of a chief
justice and six associate justices.
Proposed constitution (Senate Bill No.) provides that the supreme court must be composed of a chief
justice and eight 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. Retains the districts and the number
of judges assigned to each on the effective date of present constitution, subject to change by law
enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
Proposed constitution (Senate Bill No.) provides that the state must be divided into at least nine
supreme court districts but otherwise retains present constitution.
Proposed law provides district boundaries for nine supreme court districts.
Proposed law provides that each justice in office on the effective date of proposed law shall be the
justice for the district having the same designation as the district from which the justice was elected
and shall complete the term for which he was elected. Further provides that the successor to the
office of justice of the supreme court shall be elected from the district assigned to that office as
provided in proposed law and that election shall be from the district composed as provided by R.S.
13:101.2.
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 Louisiana 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 when the proposed amendment to Article V of the Constitution of Louisiana contained in
the Act which originated as Senate Bill No. of the 2022 Regular Session of the Legislature is adopted
at a statewide election and becomes effective.
(Adds R.S. 13:101.2 and 101.3; repeals R.S. 13:101, 101.1, and 312.4)