HLS 24RS-59 ORIGINAL 2024 Regular Session HOUSE CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST NO. 1 BY REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT: Requests the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs to meet and function as a joint committee to study and make recommendations regarding ethics and campaign finance disclosure laws 1 A CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST 2To the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on 3 Senate and Governmental Affairs to meet and to function as a joint committee to 4 study and make recommendations regarding ethics and campaign finance disclosure 5 laws and to report the findings of the joint committee to the legislature no later than 6 March 31, 2025. 7 WHEREAS, Article III, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana requires the 8legislature to enact a code of ethics prohibiting conflict between public duty and private 9interests of members of the legislature, and Article X, Section 21 of the Constitution of 10Louisiana requires the legislature to enact a code of ethics for all officials and employees of 11the state and its political subdivisions; and 12 WHEREAS, the Code of Governmental Ethics (R.S. 42:1101 et seq.), provides that 13"it is essential to the proper operation of democratic government that elected officials and 14public employees be independent and impartial; that governmental decisions and policy be 15made in the proper channel of the governmental structure; that public office and employment 16not be used for private gain other than the remuneration provided by law; and that there be 17public confidence in the integrity of government"; and 18 WHEREAS, the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act (R.S. 18:1481 et seq.) provides 19that "the legislature recognizes that the effectiveness of representative government is 20dependent upon a knowledgeable electorate and the confidence of the electorate in their Page 1 of 2 HLS 24RS-59 ORIGINAL HCSR NO. 1 1elected public officials" and that the purpose of campaign finance laws is "to provide public 2disclosure of the financing of election campaigns and to regulate certain campaign 3practices"; and 4 WHEREAS, due to the complex nature and broad application of ethics and campaign 5finance laws, it is appropriate that issues related thereto be comprehensively and thoroughly 6analyzed and studied; and 7 WHEREAS, the joint committee should seek input from interested stakeholders, 8including but not limited to the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana School 9Boards Association, the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, the Public Affairs Research 10Council, and the Council for a Better Louisiana, in conducting this study. 11 THEREFORE, the Legislature of Louisiana requests the House Committee on House 12and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs 13to meet and to function as a joint committee to study and make recommendations regarding 14ethics and campaign finance disclosure laws and to report the findings of the joint committee 15to the legislature no later than March 31, 2025. 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)] HCSR 1 Original 2024 Regular Session Jackson Requests that the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs meet and function as a joint committee to study and make recommendations regarding ethics and campaign finance disclosure laws and report findings to the legislature no later than March 31, 2025. Page 2 of 2