Senate Bill No. SLS 26RS-118, introduced by Senator Kleinpeter, aims to amend the compensation structure for parish registrars of voters, their chief deputies, and confidential assistants in Louisiana. The bill modifies the existing salary schedules by reducing the number of population ranges and increasing the compensation at each step. It replaces the previous method of determining parish populations, which included estimates from Louisiana Tech University, with data from the latest federal decennial census published by the United States Bureau of the Census Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates.

Additionally, the bill establishes that the Department of State will only adjust the annual salaries of registrars of voters, chief deputy registrars, and confidential assistants once every ten years, specifically one year after the federal census is received. This change is intended to provide more stability in compensation for these positions. The proposed changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, unless vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature.

Statutes affected:
SB25 Original: 18:55(A)(1), 18:59(B)(1)
SB25 Engrossed: 18:55(A)(1), 18:59(B)(1)