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 22 Original 2024 Second Extraordinary Session Mike Johnson
Abstract: Pursuant to a settlement reached between all parties in the matter entitled Louisiana
State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, et al.
v. State of Louisiana, et al., Case 3:19-479, in the U. S. District Court for the Middle District
of Louisiana, provides for the redistricting of the state's supreme court and provides for the
composition of seven supreme court districts.
Statistical summaries of proposed law including maps illustrating proposed district
boundaries accompany this digest. (Attached to the bill version on the internet.)
Present constitution (Const. Art. V, §3) provides the supreme court must be composed of a chief
justice and six 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. Further provides the districts and
the number of judges assigned to each on the effective date of the constitution are retained, subject
to change by law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
Proposed law states that the purpose and intent of proposed law is to statutorily effectuate and
implement a settlement reached between all parties in the matter entitled Louisiana State Conference
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, et al. v. State of Louisiana, et
al., Case 3:19-479, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Proposed law redraws district boundaries for the seven supreme court districts and assigns each
justice in office to a district.
Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions are those precincts contained
in the file named "2024 Precinct Shapefiles (01-10-2024)" available on the legislature's website. The
2024 Precinct Shapefiles are based upon those Voting Districts (VTDs) contained in the 2020
Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the State of La. as those files have been modified
and validated through the data verification program of the La. House of Representatives and the La.
Senate to represent precinct changes submitted through Jan. 10, 2024, to the Legislature of La. by
parish governing authorities.
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 La. Population data, statistical
information, and maps are supplied for purposes of information and analysis and comprise no part
of proposed law.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 13:101.2 and 101.3; Repeals R.S. 13:101, 101.1, and 312.4)