HLS 24RS-4 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 250
BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS: (Constitutional Amendment) Provides that the timing and
duration of regular sessions of the legislature may be set by joint rule of the
legislature
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION
2Proposing to amend Article III, Section 2(A) and (D) of the Constitution of Louisiana,
3 relative to sessions of the legislature; to provide for regular sessions of the
4 legislature; to provide for the authority of the legislature relative thereto; to remove
5 certain deadlines and restrictions related to regular sessions; to provide relative to
6 organizational sessions; to provide for submission of the proposed amendment to the
7 electors; and to provide for related matters.
8 Section 1. Be it resolved by the Legislature of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members
9elected to each house concurring, that there shall be submitted to the electors of the state of
10Louisiana, for their approval or rejection in the manner provided by law, a proposal to
11amend Article III, Section 2(A) and (D) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to read as follows:
12 §2. Sessions
13 Section 2.(A) Annual Regular Session. (1) The legislature shall meet
14 annually in regular session for a limited number of legislative days in the state
15 capital. A legislative day is a calendar day on which either house is in session.
16 (2)(a) No member of the legislature may introduce more than five bills that
17 were not prefiled, except as provided in the joint rules of the legislature.
18 (b) Except as provided in Subsubparagraph (c) of this Subparagraph, any bill
19 that is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be prefiled no later than
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HB NO. 250
1 five o'clock in the evening of the tenth calendar day prior to the first day of a regular
2 session.
3 (c) Any bill to effect any change in laws relating to any retirement system
4 for public employees that is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be
5 prefiled no later than five o'clock in the evening of the forty-fifth calendar day prior
6 to the first day of a regular session.
7 (d) The legislature is authorized to provide by joint rule for the procedures
8 for passage of duplicate or companion instruments.
9 (3)(a) All regular sessions convening in even-numbered years shall be
10 general in nature and shall convene at noon on the second Monday in March. The
11 legislature shall meet in such a session for not more than sixty legislative days during
12 a period of eighty-five calendar days. No such session shall continue beyond six
13 o'clock in the evening of the eighty-fifth calendar day after convening. No new
14 matter intended to have the effect of law shall be introduced or received by either
15 house after six o'clock in the evening of the twenty-third calendar day. No matter
16 intended to have the effect of law, except a measure proposing a suspension of law,
17 shall be considered on third reading and final passage in either house after six o'clock
18 in the evening of the fifty-seventh legislative day or the eighty-second calendar day,
19 whichever occurs first, except by a favorable record vote of two-thirds of the elected
20 members of each house.
21 (b) No measure levying or authorizing a new tax by the state or by any
22 statewide political subdivision whose boundaries are coterminous with the state;
23 increasing an existing tax by the state or by any statewide political subdivision
24 whose boundaries are coterminous with the state; or legislating with regard to tax
25 exemptions, exclusions, deductions or credits, shall be introduced or enacted during
26 a regular session held in an even-numbered year.
27 (4)(a) All regular sessions convening in odd-numbered years shall convene
28 at noon on the second Monday in April. The legislature shall meet in such a session
29 for not more than forty-five legislative days in a period of sixty calendar days. No
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1 such session shall continue beyond six o'clock in the evening of the sixtieth calendar
2 day after convening. No new matter intended to have the effect of law shall be
3 introduced or received by either house after six o'clock in the evening of the tenth
4 calendar day. No matter intended to have the effect of law, except a measure
5 proposing a suspension of law, shall be considered on third reading and final passage
6 in either house after six o'clock in the evening of the forty-second legislative day or
7 fifty-seventh calendar day, whichever occurs first, except by a favorable record vote
8 of two-thirds of the elected members of each house.
9 (b) During any session convening in an odd-numbered year, no matter
10 intended to have the effect of law, including any suspension of law, shall be
11 introduced or considered unless its object is to enact the General Appropriation Bill;
12 enact the comprehensive capital budget; make an appropriation; levy or authorize a
13 new tax; increase an existing tax; levy, authorize, increase, decrease, or repeal a fee;
14 dedicate revenue; legislate with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions,
15 reductions, repeals, or credits; or legislate with regard to the issuance of bonds. In
16 addition, a matter intended to have the effect of law, including a measure proposing
17 a suspension of law, which is not within the subject matter restrictions provided in
18 this Subparagraph may be considered at any such session if:
19 (i) It is prefiled no later than the deadline provided in Subparagraph (2) of
20 this Paragraph, provided that the member shall not prefile more than five such
21 matters pursuant to this Subsubparagraph; or
22 (ii) Its object is to enact a local or special law which is required to be and has
23 been advertised in accordance with Section 13 of this Article and which is not
24 prohibited by the provisions of Section 12 of this Article.
25 The legislature shall meet in regular session at least once in every year, and
26 such a session shall begin at noon on the second Monday in February and adjourn
27 sine die no later than six o'clock in the evening on May thirty-first, unless the
28 legislature provides otherwise by joint rule adopted by a favorable vote of two-thirds
29 of the elected members of each house and according to the same procedure and
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HB NO. 250
1 formalities required for the passage of a law, except for gubernatorial veto and time
2 limitations for introduction.
3 * * *
4 (D) Organizational Session. The legislature shall meet in an organizational
5 session in the state capitol to be convened at ten o'clock in the morning on the day
6 the members are required to take office. No such session shall exceed three
7 legislative days. The session shall be for the primary purpose of judging the
8 qualifications and elections of the members, taking the oath of office, organizing the
9 two houses, and selecting officers. No matter intended to have the effect of law shall
10 be introduced at an organizational session.
11 * * *
12 Section 2. Be it further resolved that this proposed amendment shall be submitted
13to the electors of the state of Louisiana at the statewide election to be held on November 5,
142024.
15 Section 3. Be it further resolved that on the official ballot to be used at the election,
16there shall be printed a proposition, upon which the electors of the state shall be permitted
17to vote YES or NO, to amend the Constitution of Louisiana, which proposition shall read as
18follows:
19 Do you support an amendment to provide that the regular sessions of the
20 legislature will begin each year on the second Monday in February and end
21 no later than May thirtieth; to remove subject matter restrictions and
22 deadlines for prefiling, introduction, and final passage of legislative
23 instruments from the session-related provisions of the constitution; and to
24 allow the legislature to change the timing of annual sessions by a joint rule
25 adopted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of each house of the
26 legislature? (Amends Article III, Section 2(A) and (D))
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HB NO. 250
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 250 Original 2024 Regular Session Green
Abstract: Provides that the regular sessions of the legislature will begin each year on the
second Monday in Feb. and end no later than May 30th. Removes subject matter
restrictions and deadlines for prefiling, introduction, and final passage of legislative
instruments in the provisions for sessions. Allows the legislature to change the
timing of annual sessions by a joint rule adopted by a two-thirds vote.
Present constitution provides that in even-numbered years the regular session of the
legislature convenes at noon on the second Monday in March, in which the legislature shall
meet for not more than 60 legislative days during a period of 85 calendar days.
Present constitution prohibits the introduction or enactment of any measure levying or
authorizing a new tax or increasing an existing tax by the state or by any statewide political
subdivision, or legislating with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions, or credits
during a regular session convening in an even-numbered year.
Present constitution provides that in odd-numbered years the legislature shall convene at
noon on the second Monday in April, in which the legislature shall meet for not more than
45 legislative days during a period of 60 calendar days.
Present constitution provides that during any session convening in an odd-numbered year,
no matter shall be introduced or considered unless its object is to enact the General
Appropriation Bill or the comprehensive capital budget, to make an appropriation, levy or
authorize a new tax, increase an existing tax, levy, authorize, increase, decrease, or repeal
a fee, dedicate revenue, legislate with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions,
reductions, repeals, or credits, or legislate with regard to the issuance of bonds. Provides
exceptions to this subject matter limitation, including allowing members to prefile up to five
"general" matters and local and special bills which are required to be advertised.
Present constitution requires proposed legislation to be introduced to be prefiled no later than
five o'clock in the evening of the 10th calendar day prior to the first day of a regular session.
Provides that proposed legislation to effect a change in a retirement system for public
employees to be prefiled for introduction shall be prefiled no later than 5 p.m. of the 45th
calendar day prior to the first day of a regular session.
Present constitution provides for deadlines for introduction of matters intended to have the
effect of law in each regular session. Provides for deadlines for consideration on third
reading and final passage of such matters in each regular session, except by a two-thirds vote
of each house.
Proposed constitutional amendment provides instead that the legislature shall meet in regular
session at least once in every year and such session shall begin at noon on the second
Monday in February and adjourn sine die no later than 6 p.m. on May 31st, unless the
legislature provides otherwise by joint rule adopted by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the
elected members of each house and according to the same procedure and formalities required
for the passage of a law, except for gubernatorial veto and time limitations for introduction.
Present constitution limits the duration of the organizational session of the legislature at the
beginning of each term to three legislative days. Proposed constitutional amendment
changes the limitation to three days and otherwise retains present constitution.
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HB NO. 250
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election
to be held Nov. 5, 2024.
(Amends Const. Article III, §2(A) and (D))
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