House Bill No. 400, introduced by Representative Fontenot, amends existing laws regarding the scheduling of bond, tax, and other proposition elections in Louisiana. The bill stipulates that such elections, excluding recall elections, must be held only on regularly scheduled open primary election dates, as opposed to the previous allowance for fall election dates. Additionally, it introduces a provision that allows political subdivisions to call special elections on regularly scheduled general election dates in cases of declared emergencies, provided they receive approval from the State Bond Commission, the governor, and the secretary of state.

Furthermore, the bill repeals existing provisions of the Open Meetings Law that mandated public notice for meetings where political subdivisions intended to propose or modify ad valorem property taxes or sales and use taxes. The effective date for these changes is set for January 1, 2029, contingent upon the adoption of a proposed amendment to Article VI, Section 22 of the Louisiana Constitution. The amendments aim to streamline the election process for tax and bond propositions while ensuring that such elections coincide with primary election dates to enhance voter participation.

Statutes affected:
HB400 Original: 18:402(F)
HB400 Engrossed: 18:402(F)
HB400 Reengrossed: 18:402(F), 18:1283(B)