HLS 23RS-641 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 21
BY REPRESENTATIVE LANDRY
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES: Requests the governmental affairs committees of the
House of Representatives and Senate to meet and function as a joint committee to
make recommendations regarding the establishment of procedures for an initiative
process in Louisiana
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To request the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Senate
3 Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to meet and function as a joint
4 committee to study and make recommendations with respect to the implementation
5 of initiative and referendum in Louisiana, including recommended legislation.
6 WHEREAS, the initiative is a process that enables citizens to bypass their state
7legislature to propose statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments through a
8process to place the matter on the ballot; and
9 WHEREAS, twenty-four states have some type of initiative process guaranteed in
10the constitutions of those states; and
11 WHEREAS, there are two types of initiatives, direct and indirect; in the direct
12process, qualified proposals are placed directly on the ballot; in the indirect process, a
13proposal is first submitted to the legislature; and
14 WHEREAS, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, no two
15states have exactly the same requirements for qualifying initiatives to be placed on the
16ballot; and
17 WHEREAS, House Bill No. 165 of the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature is
18a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the people of Louisiana to propose by
19initiative a new law, an amendment to or repeal of an existing law, or an amendment to the
20constitution and to adopt or reject the proposal through or independent of the legislature;
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HCR NO. 21
1House Bill No. 165 further requires the legislature to provide the procedures, form, and
2manner by which the people may exercise these rights.
3 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
4request the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Senate
5Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to meet and function as a joint committee
6to study and make recommendations with respect to the implementation of initiative and
7referendum in Louisiana, including recommended legislation, if and when the proposed
8amendment to the Constitution of Louisiana contained in House Bill No. 165 of this 2023
9Regular Session of the Legislature is adopted at a statewide election and becomes effective.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint committee shall report its findings to
11the legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the 2024 Regular Session
12of the Legislature.
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)]
HCR 21 Original 2023 Regular Session Landry
Requests the House and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate and Governmental
Affairs Committee to meet and function as a joint committee to study and make
recommendations with respect to the implementation of initiative and referendum, including
recommended legislation, in a report to the legislature no later than 30 days prior to the 2024
R.S.
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