HLS 23RS-856 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 507
BY REPRESENTATIVE EDMONDS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
PRINTING: Provides relative to compensation for printing of the official proceedings of
political subdivisions
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 43:147, to enact R.S. 43:147.1 and 147.2, and to repeal R.S.
3 43:147.1 and 147.2, relative to publication of public notices and proceedings of
4 political subdivisions; to provide with respect to compensation for printing; to
5 provide relative to billing and verification with respect to publication; to require that
6 official journals have websites and post notices on them; and to provide for related
7 matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 43:147 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 43:147.1 and
10147.2 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 §147. Compensation for printing; billing by a rate of price per character
12 A. The police juries, municipal corporations, and school boards throughout
13 the state, may, at their option, have their official proceedings published by contract,
14 which contract may not provide for a cost in excess of the maximum amounts
15 hereinafter provided for. Payment may be made monthly or quarterly at the option
16 of the police jury, municipal corporation, or school board, unless otherwise provided
17 in any contract entered into for the publication of official proceedings.
18 B. When the publication of proceedings is not done by contract providing for
19 a lesser amount, the cost of advertisement in all parishes which do not contain a city
20 of over one hundred thousand population shall not exceed the rate of six dollars per
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1 square of one hundred words or a fraction thereof. When the insertion contains
2 material to be set in tabular form, the tabulated matter shall be computed on the basis
3 of the number of words of straight matter which would occupy identical space.
4 C. The agate line shall be the unit of basis of measurement and charges for
5 all official proceedings published in parishes containing a city of more than one
6 hundred thousand, but less than three hundred thousand population. When the
7 publication of the proceedings is not done by contract providing for a lesser amount,
8 the printing shall be let at not over thirty-three cents per agate line of space occupied
9 by each insertion.
10 D. The agate line shall be the unit or basis of measurement and charge for
11 all official proceedings published in parishes containing a city of more than three
12 hundred thousand population. When the publication of the proceedings is not done
13 by contract providing for a lesser amount, the printing shall be let at not over thirty-
14 seven cents per agate line of space occupied by each insertion.
15 B.(1) In all parishes that do not contain a city of over one hundred thousand
16 in population, the rate for advertisements shall not exceed the rate of one and one-
17 half cents per character of text, not including spaces. When the insertion contains
18 material to be set in tabular form or is submitted prebuilt, the rate will be computed
19 at two dollars seventy-six cents per square inch based on six-point type and six-point
20 font. If the notice is set in larger type or font, the rate shall be prorated. Regardless
21 of the size of type the notice is set in, the rates specified in this Paragraph are based
22 on a printable space of one-inch-high and one-inch-wide column. If the page width
23 is either wider or narrower for a single column, the rate per column shall be prorated.
24 (2) In all parishes that contain a city of more than one hundred thousand
25 population shall not exceed the rate of two cents per character of text, not including
26 spaces. When the insertion contains material to be set in tabular form or is submitted
27 prebuilt, the rate will be computed at three dollars ninety-six cents per square inch
28 based on six-point type and six-point font. If the notice is set in larger type or font,
29 the rate shall be prorated. Regardless of the size of type the notice is set in, the rates
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1 specified in this Paragraph are based on a printable space of one-inch-high and
2 one-inch-wide column. If the page width is either wider or narrower for a single
3 column, the rate per column shall be prorated.
4 C.(1) An official journal that publishes a public notice shall, within thirty
5 days of publication, submit a bill for the publication with a clipping of the published
6 notice and a verified statement that states the rate charged to the political subdivision
7 for the publication and certifies the number and dates of publication.
8 (2) No compensation for publishing a public notice shall be recoverable
9 unless the bill is accompanied by the verified statement required in Paragraph (1) of
10 this Subsection.
11 D. Every official journal selected pursuant to this Chapter shall have a
12 website and post all notices on that website and on a collective website. However,
13 failure to post or maintain a public notice in accordance with this Subsection does
14 not affect the validity of the public notice. The cost for publication on either of these
15 websites shall be covered by the applicable rates as provided in this Chapter.
16 §147.1. Compensation for printing; billing by agate line or per-square column
17 Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 43:147(B), prior to January 1, 2024,
18 the following provisions shall apply with respect to compensation for printing:
19 (1) When the publication of proceedings is not done by contract providing
20 for a lesser amount, the cost of advertisement in all parishes which do not contain a
21 city of over one hundred thousand population shall not exceed the rate of six dollars
22 per square of one hundred words or a fraction thereof. When the insertion contains
23 material to be set in tabular form, the tabulated matter shall be computed on the basis
24 of the number of words of straight matter which would occupy identical space.
25 (2) The agate line shall be the unit of basis of measurement and charges for
26 all official proceedings published in parishes containing a city of more than one
27 hundred thousand, but less than three hundred thousand population. When the
28 publication of the proceedings is not done by contract providing for a lesser amount,
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1 the printing shall be let at not over thirty-three cents per agate line of space occupied
2 by each insertion.
3 (3) The agate line shall be the unit or basis of measurement and charge for
4 all official proceedings published in parishes containing a city of more than three
5 hundred thousand population. When the publication of the proceedings is not done
6 by contract providing for a lesser amount, the printing shall be let at not over thirty-
7 seven cents per agate line of space occupied by each insertion.
8 §147.2. Compensation for printing; January 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027
9 Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 43:147(B), from January 1, 2024,
10 through June 30, 2027, any qualified newspaper may submit a bid using the
11 provisions of R.S. 43:147(B) or the provisions of R.S. 43:147.1, or both, at the
12 newspaper's option, and any such bid may be accepted by the governing authority.
13 Section 2. R.S. 43:147.1 and 147.2 are hereby repealed in their entirety.
14 Section 3. The provisions of R.S. 43:147(D) as enacted by this Act shall be
15implemented not later than January 1, 2024.
16 Section 4.(A) Sections 1 and 3 and this Section of this Act shall be effective on
17August 1, 2023.
18 (B) Section 2 of this Act shall be effective on July 1, 2027.
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 507 Original 2023 Regular Session Edmonds
Abstract: Revises billing methods for publication of public notices and provides for a
transitional period between the two different methods.
Present law provides that police juries, municipal corporations, and school boards may have
their official proceedings published by contract. Provides that payment may be made
monthly or quarterly. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides for billing for public printing with a method based on agate line or per-
square column.
Proposed law provides for a billing method according to price per character.
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Proposed law provides for a transitional period between Jan. 1, 2024, and June 30, 2027,
during which these entities have the option of using either the present law or proposed law
method (or both). Provides that as of July 1, 2027, proposed law shall be the only billing
method allowed.
Proposed law further:
(1)Requires an official journal, within 30 days of publication of a public notice, to
submit a bill for the publication with a clipping of the published notice and a verified
statement that states the rate charged and certifies the number and dates of
publication.
(2)Provides that no compensation for publishing a public notice shall be recoverable
unless the bill is accompanied by this verified statement.
(3)Not later than Jan. 1, 2024, requires every official journal to have a website and post
all notices on that website and on a collective website; provides, however, that
failure to post on these websites does not affect the validity of the public notice.
Provides that the charge for publication on either of these websites shall be
subsumed within the applicable rates as provided in present law and proposed law.
(Amends R.S. 43:147; Adds R.S. 43:147.1 and 147.2; Repeals R.S. 43:147.1 and 147.2)
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