HLS 25RS-123 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 323
BY REPRESENTATIVE BEAULLIEU
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
ELECTIONS/DATES: Provides for election dates for municipal officers and school board
members
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:52(A) and R.S. 33:383(A)(1) and (2)(a) and (c) and to enact
3 R.S. 33:383(A)(3), relative to election dates for municipal and school board
4 elections; to authorize the election of school board members to occur at the same
5 time as the gubernatorial elections; to authorize municipal elections to occur at the
6 same time as gubernatorial elections; to provide for terms of office; and to provide
7 for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 17:52(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
10 §52. Election and qualification of members; term of office
11 A.(1) There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each parish police jury
12 ward, or the equivalent thereof, of each parish of the state a member of the school
13 board of the parish for each police juror in said ward, or the members of a parish
14 school board shall be elected by the qualified voters in accordance with the school
15 board reapportionment plan then in effect as authorized by law, or the members of
16 a parish school board shall be elected in accordance with any special law applicable
17 to the board, as the case may be. Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this
18 Subsection, members Members of parish school boards shall be elected at the
19 congressional elections. Members elected in 1986 and thereafter shall serve four-
20 year concurrent terms beginning January 1 following their election. In order to
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1 implement the concurrent terms provided for herein, those members of the parish
2 school boards who are elected in 1980 shall serve six-year terms beginning January
3 first following their election, those members of the parish school boards who are
4 elected in 1982 shall serve four-year terms beginning January first following their
5 election, and those members of the parish school boards who are elected in 1984
6 shall serve two-year terms beginning January first following their election.
7 For purposes of the election of school board members in the election years
8 1980, 1982, and 1984 the parish school boards of the several parishes, as occasion
9 may arise on account of the increase in the membership by the creation of additional
10 wards or the increase of membership for any single ward, shall by proper resolution
11 maintain the three divisions of the membership of the school boards existing on July
12 28, 1948, as nearly equal as possible by allotting such new members to one of the
13 three divisions, and when so allotted the term of office of such new member or
14 members shall expire at the same time as the terms of the other members of the said
15 division. Thereafter, the election of additional school board members shall be in
16 accordance with the provisions herein made applicable to the election of school
17 board members in the election year 1986.
18 (2)(a) Any school board may, by resolution, adopt a plan for holding school
19 board elections at the same time as the fall gubernatorial election in accordance with
20 R.S. 18:402. No such plan shall be revocable by the school board.
21 (b) Any plan adopted pursuant to this Paragraph shall be filed with the
22 secretary of state no later than July 29, 2026.
23 (c) Any school board that complies with the provisions of this Paragraph
24 may hold its elections at the fall gubernatorial election in accordance with R.S.
25 18:402. The first election under the plan shall be held at the 2031 fall gubernatorial
26 election.
27 (d) The members elected under the plan shall take office on the first day of
28 January following their election and shall hold their office for four years. However,
29 the members of a school board that complies with this Paragraph who are elected at
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HB NO. 323
1 school board elections held at the same time as the 2026 congressional election, as
2 provided by R.S. 18:402, shall serve until their successors elected under the plan take
3 office on January 1, 2032.
4 (e) If no election is held on the day authorized by the plan adopted by a
5 school board or if a vacancy in any school board office elective by the people occurs
6 or if a member elected fails to qualify, such vacancy shall be filled in accordance
7 with the provisions of Article VI, Section 13 of the Constitution of Louisiana or as
8 otherwise provided by law.
9 * * *
10 Section 2. R.S. 33:383(A)(1) and (2)(a) and (c) are hereby amended and reenacted
11and R.S. 33:383(A)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 §383. Municipal elections; term of office; filling vacancies; officers holding over
13 under new form of government
14 A.(1) Except as otherwise provided by this Subsection and R.S. 33:383.2,
15 municipal elections shall be held every four years on the date for municipal and ward
16 elections in accordance with R.S. 18:402(C) R.S. 18:402(D). The officers elected
17 shall take office on the first day of July following their election and shall hold their
18 office for four years.
19 (2)(a) Any municipality by ordinance of the governing authority may adopt
20 a plan for holding municipal elections at the congressional elections in accordance
21 with R.S. 18:402(B) R.S. 18:402(C)(2). Any plan so adopted shall be filed with the
22 secretary of state not less than one year prior to the opening of the qualifying period
23 for the congressional primary election at which municipal officers shall be elected
24 initially under the plan. This election shall be the first congressional primary
25 election after termination of the terms of office to which municipal officers in office
26 on the effective date of this Subsection were elected.
27 * * *
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HB NO. 323
1 (c) Any municipality that complies with the provisions of this Paragraph may
2 hold municipal elections at the congressional elections in accordance with R.S.
3 18:402(B) R.S. 18:402(C)(2).
4 * * *
5 (3)(a) Any municipality by ordinance of the governing authority may adopt
6 a plan for holding municipal elections at the gubernatorial election in accordance
7 with R.S. 18:402. Any plan adopted pursuant to this Paragraph shall be filed with
8 the secretary of state no later than January 13, 2027.
9 (b) No such plan shall be revocable by the governing authority of the
10 municipality.
11 (c) Any municipality that complies with the provisions of this Paragraph may
12 hold its municipal elections at the fall gubernatorial election in accordance with R.S.
13 18:402. The first election under the plan shall be held at the 2031 gubernatorial
14 election.
15 (d) The officers elected under the plan shall take office on the first day of
16 July following their election and shall hold their office for four years. However, the
17 municipal officers of a municipality that complies with Subsection A of this Section
18 who are elected at municipal elections held at the same time as the 2027 spring
19 municipal election, as provided by R.S. 18:402, shall serve until their successors
20 elected under the plan take office on July 1, 2032.
21 * * *
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 323 Original 2025 Regular Session Beaullieu
Abstract: Authorizes municipal and school board elections to occur at the same time as the
gubernatorial elections beginning with the 2031 fall gubernatorial election.
Present law provides that school board elections occur at the congressional election.
Provides that school board members serve four year concurrent terms beginning the first day
of Jan. following their election.
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HB NO. 323
Present law further provides that municipal elections shall be held every four years on the
date for spring municipal and ward elections in accordance with the dates provided present
law. Provides that municipal officers shall take office on the first day of July following their
election and shall hold office for four years.
Proposed law retains present law, except to provide that any school board or municipality
may, by resolution, adopt a plan for holding its elections at the same time as the fall
gubernatorial election in accordance with present law beginning with the 2031 fall
gubernatorial election. Provides that no such plan shall be revocable by the adopting school
board or municipality.
Proposed law provides that school board members of a school board that complies with
proposed law who are elected at school board elections held at the same time as the 2026
congressional election shall serve until their successors elected under the plan take office on
Jan. 1, 2032. Further provides that municipal officers of a municipality that complies with
proposed law who are elected at municipal elections held at the same time as the 2027 spring
municipal election, as provided by present law (R.S. 18:402), shall serve until their
successors elected under the plan take office on July 1, 2032.
Proposed law requires that any plan adopted by a school board pursuant to proposed law be
filed with the secretary of state no later than July 29, 2026. Further requires that any plan
adopted by a municipality pursuant to proposed law be filed with the secretary of state no
later than Jan. 13, 2027.
Present law provides that if no municipal election is held on the day prescribed by law or if
a vacancy in any municipal office elective by the people occurs or if an officer elected fails
to qualify, such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of present
constitution and present law.
Proposed law retains present law and provides the same for school board elections provided
for in proposed law.
(Amends R.S. 17:52(A) and R.S. 33:383(A)(1) and (2)(a) and (c); Adds R.S. 33:383(A)(3))
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