House Bill No. 502, introduced by Representative Butler, aims to amend and reenact several provisions related to the compensation, evaluation, duties, and removal of registrars of voters in Louisiana. The bill expands the grounds for removal of registrars by the State Board of Election Supervisors to include incompetence, consistent under-performance, abuse of leave policies, violation of substance abuse policies, and a finding of "unsuccessful" on merit evaluations for two consecutive years. It also establishes a process for hearings on allegations raised by the commissioner of elections and imposes a firing freeze during removal proceedings.

Additionally, the bill outlines new merit evaluation criteria for registrars, chief deputies, and confidential assistants, which will result in findings of "excellent," "successful," "unsuccessful," or "not assessed." Registrars and their deputies will receive salary increases based on their evaluation results, with specific provisions for those at the highest salary levels. The bill also stipulates that registrars may only close their offices in extreme circumstances while still performing essential functions. The provisions of the bill will take effect upon legislative appropriation of funds and the governor's signature.

Statutes affected:
HB502 Original: 18:53(A), 18:55(A)(4), 18:59(B)(4), 18:134(A)
HB502 Engrossed: 18:53(A), 18:55(A)(4), 18:59(B)(4), 18:134(A)
HB502 Reengrossed: 18:53(A), 18:55(A)(4), 18:59(B)(4), 18:134(A)