House Bill No. by Representative Lyons proposes amendments to the election structure of judges within the first district of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal in Louisiana. The bill seeks to change the current division of the first district from two election sections to three, with four judges assigned to election section one, one judge to election section two, and one judge to election section three. This adjustment aims to enhance representation and ensure a more equitable distribution of judges across the newly defined election sections.

Additionally, the bill outlines the process for filling vacancies that arise due to the death, resignation, retirement, or removal of judges. Specifically, it states that the first vacancy from election section one will be filled by an election from election section three, and that judgeship will be assigned to election section three for future elections. The bill also clarifies that the precincts referenced in the district descriptions are based on the 2020 Census Redistricting data and establishes that any changes made to precincts by parish governing authorities will not alter the territorial limits of the districts as defined in the bill. The proposed changes will take effect upon the governor's signature or after the designated time for gubernatorial action.

Statutes affected:
HB369 Original: 13:312(5), 13:1(E)(2)