This bill amends Louisiana's election laws by increasing the qualifying fees for various state candidates and adjusting the requirements for nominating petitions. Specifically, the qualifying fee for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, and commissioner of insurance has been raised from $750 to $2,500. Additionally, the fee for a United States senator is now set at $3,500, while the fee for a United States representative is $1,500. Other state candidates will have a qualifying fee of $600, and justices of the supreme court, judges of a court of appeal, and members of the public service commission will pay $450.

The bill also modifies the number of signatures required for nominating petitions. For candidates running for statewide office, the required number of signatures has been reduced from 5,000 to 2,500, with at least 250 signatures needed from each congressional district. For United States Representatives, the requirement has changed from 1,000 signatures to 1,750 from within the respective district. These changes aim to streamline the qualifying process for candidates and adjust the financial requirements associated with running for office in Louisiana.

Statutes affected:
HB342 Original: 18:5(A), 18:464(B)(1), 18:465(C)(1)
HB342 Engrossed: 18:5(A), 18:464(B)(1), 18:465(C)(1)
HB342 Reengrossed: 18:5(A), 18:464(B)(1), 18:465(C)(1)
HB342 Enrolled: 18:464(B)(1), 18:465(C)(1)
HB342 Act 495: 18:464(B)(1), 18:465(C)(1)