This bill amends and reenacts R.S. 33:1395(B) and enacts new subsections (C), (D), and (E) to provide clearer guidelines regarding the election of home rule charter commissions in Louisiana. It specifies that a charter commission must be elected when a petition is presented to the clerk of a municipality or parish, signed by at least ten percent of the electors or ten thousand electors, whichever is fewer. The governing authority is then required to call an election to elect a commission to prepare and propose a home rule charter. The bill also updates the legal reference to the "Constitution of Louisiana" instead of the "Louisiana Constitution of 1974."

Additionally, the new subsections outline the requirements for the petition, including the necessary information for each signer and the timeline for submission to the parish registrar of voters. The registrar is tasked with certifying the petition within fifteen working days and indicating any non-qualifying signatures. If the petition is certified, the governing authority must call an election to fill the commissioner offices within thirty days. The bill establishes a legal presumption of validity for certified petitions and allows for challenges to the certification process. The effective date for this legislation is set for January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
HB596 Original: 33:1395(B)
HB596 Engrossed: 33:1395(B)
HB596 Reengrossed: 33:1395(B)
HB596 Enrolled: 33:1395(B)
HB596 Act 713: 33:1395(B)