|
2008 SENATE REGULAR SESSION INFORMATION BULLETIN
(PDF)
January 14, 2008 - Organizational Session
(Inauguration Day)
2008 Senate Regular Session Information Bulletin
11/14/07
|
(1) Subject matter - General in nature.
|
Prohibited Items - No measure levying or
authorizing a new state tax by the state or by any
statewide political subdivision whose boundaries are
coterminous with the state; increasing an existing state
tax by the state or by any statewide political subdivision
whose boundaries are coterminous with the state; or
legislating with regard to state tax exemptions,
exclusions, deductions or credits shall be introduced or
enacted during a regular session held in an even-numbered
year.
|
|
(2) February 28, 2008; Thursday
February 29, 2008; Friday |
Last two publication dates for bills
requiring advertisement if you wish to prefile and introduce
on the first day of the regular session - Monday, March 31,
2008.
|
|
(3) March 20, 2008, Thursday |
Deadline to prefile Constitutional
Amendments.
House computes in hours and accepts
prefiling until noon, Friday, March 21, 2008.
(Const. Art. XIII, Sec. 1(A))
|
|
(4) March 21, 2008; Friday; 5:00 P.M. |
Deadline to prefile Bills. Each member
is limited to introducing five bills after 5:00 PM deadline.
(Const. Art. III, Sec. 2(A)(2))
|
|
(5) March 21, 2008; Friday
March 22, 2008; Saturday |
Last two publication dates for bills
requiring advertisement if you wish to introduce the bill on
the last day for introduction of bills - Tuesday, April 22,
2008.
|
|
(6) March 31, 2008; Noon
Length of session |
Session Begins
60 legislative days during 85 calendar-day
period
(Const. Art. III, Sec. 2(A)(3)(a))
|
|
(7) April 22, 2008, Tuesday; 6:00 P.M. |
Last day for introduction of bills after
session begins (limit of five bills per legislator after
prefile deadline).
(Const. Art. III, Sec. 2(A)(3)(a))
See Joint Rule No. 18 for exceptions.
|
|
(8) June 20, 2008 - Constitutional
Limitation on Third Reading and Final Passage. No matter
intended to have the
effect of law, except a measure proposing a
suspension of law, shall be considered on THIRD READING AND
FINAL
PASSAGE in either house after 6:00 P.M. of
the 57th legislative day or the 82nd
calendar day of a regular session,
except by a favorable record vote of
two-thirds of the elected members of each house. (Const.
Art. III, §2(A)(3)(a))
|
|
(9) June, 23, 2008; Monday; 6:00 P.M. |
Adjournment Sine Die - no later than
6:00 P.M.
(Const. Art. III, Sec. 2(A)(3)(a))
|
|
(10) August 15, 2008 |
Effective Date of Acts (statutes, codes, &
general acts) unless bill specifically provides otherwise.
(Const. Art. III, Sec. 19)
|
2008 Regular Session
Requirements for Legislative Instruments
1. Constitutional Amendments - Prefiling Required. (Const.
Art. XIII, Sec. 1(A))
(a) Prefiling of amendments required at least ten days
before the regular session begins - Thursday, March 20,
2008.
(b) House of Representatives computes this ten-day period in
24-hour increments and will accept prefiling of constitutional
amendments until Noon on Friday, March 21, 2008.
2. Bills, other than Constitutional Amendments. (Const. Art.
III, Sec. 2(A)(2)
Unlimited number of bills can be prefiled.
(a) PREFILE DEADLINE: Friday, March 21, 2008; 5:00
P.M.
Bills (which are not constitutional amendments) are required
to be prefiled no later than 5:00 P.M. on tenth calendar day -
Friday, March 21, 2008 - before the start of the regular
session.
(b) Deadline to introduce bills that were not
prefiled is 6:00 P.M., Tuesday, April 22, 2008.
No member may introduce more than five bills after prefile
deadline except as provided in Joint Rule No. 18. (Const. Art.
III, Sec. 2(A)(3)(a))
(c) RETIREMENT AND LOCAL NOTICE BILLS:
General Rule - Notice to be published on two separate days in
official journal of locality without cost to the state with the
last publication date being at least thirty days prior to
introduction of the bill. If an instrument is prefiled, the date
of introduction is the first day of the session. Notice must
state the substance of the bill and the bill itself must recite
that notice was published.
If instructed by the requesting Senator, staff will prepare
and send the notice to the local newspaper, instruct the
newspaper to bill the publication costs per instructions from
the Senator, and ask that the newspaper send a certification of
publication to the Senate Office once the notice is published.
If the local notice is being handled by the requesting
Senator, then the certificate of publication should be obtained
from newspaper by that Senator and transmitted to the Senate
Office for attachment to the bill.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Publication dates listed are based on
official journals that are published on a "daily" basis. If your
locality has an official journal that is published "weekly" then
the deadlines for publication should be adjusted accordingly.
Some newspapers require submission of an item to the
newspaper a number of days in advance of the actual publication
date - you should be aware of these time lines.
If the retirement bill affects only a city or other
strictly local retirement system, then a "local notice" is
also necessary in the official journal of the locality.
(i) Local Bills - Const. Art. III, Sec. 13.
(ii) Retirement Bills - Const. Art. X, Sec 29(C).
Retirement notice to be published in Baton Rouge's The
Advocate (the official state journal) on two separate
days without cost to the state with the last publication
date being at least thirty days prior to introduction of the
bill.
Due to publication dates of The Advocate, notice
must be submitted three working days before the first
publication date.
Dual Publication - if affects only a city or
strictly local system, then publication required in both
local and state official journals.
(iii) Assessor's Expense Allowance Notice - R.S.
47:1908(D).
No change in an assessor's expense allowance unless the
assessor sends notice of intent to the school board and
parish governing authority that are affected stating the
amount of the change.
Notice to be sent by certified mail at least ten days
prior to convening of the legislative session - last day to
give this notice is Thursday, March 20, 2008. Evidence of
notice to be exhibited to the legislature before passage of
the bill and the bill must recite that notice was given.
(iv) Assessor's Salary or Other Emolument Notice - R.S.
47:1907.1.
Sheriff's Compensation Notice - R.S. 33:1421(E).
School Board Member's Compensation Notice - R.S.
17:56(D).
Registrar of Voters and Confidential Assistant
Compensation Notice - R.S. 18:55(B) and 59(D).
No change in compensation unless notice published on two
separate days in official journal of locality without cost to
the state with the last publication date being at least thirty
days prior to introduction of the bill.
If all assessors, sheriffs, or school board
members in the state are affected, then notice shall
also be published in the official journal of the state on
two separate days without cost to the state - Baton Rouge's
The Advocate.
Each notice is to state the amount of the change and
certification of publication is to be attached to the bill.
3. Pre-Session Filing of Bills & Resolutions.
All legislative instruments are to be prepared by legislative
staff. (Senate Rule 7.6)
Staff will draft, or receive, and transmit legislative
instruments to Senate Secretary for prefiling, upon WRITTEN
direction of author.
4. Fiscal Notes.
Every bill, joint resolution, and simple or concurrent
resolution affecting the receipt, expenditure, or allocation of
funds of the state or of a political subdivision, or which would
authorize issuance of general obligation bonds or other general
obligations of the state for capital outlay, must have attached
to it, prior to committee consideration, a fiscal note giving a
reliable estimate of the fiscal effect of the measure.
Author of bill is responsible for obtaining fiscal note
from legislative fiscal officer, either directly or through the
staff. (Joint Rule No. 4)
Additionally, every bill, joint resolution, and simple or
concurrent resolution, and every amendment thereto, which
appropriates monies for capital outlay purposed must have
attached to it, prior to consideration, a fiscal note with the
worksheet of each fiscal note to include a feasibility study and
needs assessment (Senate Rule No. 7.14). If directed by the
Senator, Senate Documents and Records will order a fiscal note.
5. Actuarial Notes.
Every bill, joint resolution, and simple or concurrent
resolution proposing a change in the law as to any state,
municipal, or parochial retirement system funded in whole or
part from public funds must have an actuarial note attached to
it prior to committee consideration.
Legislative auditor prepares actuarial notes (R.S. 24:521).
If directed by the Senator, Senate Documents and Records will
order an actuarial note.
6. Appropriations to Pay Judgments Against State.
The House Appropriations Committee requires a
certified copy of final judgment and proof of finality of
judgement before committee action on any such bill. The
House Appropriations Committee, pursuant to House Resolution No.
15 of the 1987 Regular Session requires that the Clerk of the
House be furnished with the attorney's name or names in the
suit, the fees involved, and other pertinent information prior
to consideration of the bill for final passage.
7. Miscellaneous Requirements Regarding Statutory Enactments.
(a) New Judgeships.
R.S. 13:61 - Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of
Louisiana determines necessity of creating any new judgeship and
provides information to appropriate legislative standing
committee as to the necessity of creating a new judgeship.
Requests for new judgeships should be submitted to the
Judicial Council by January 15th.
(b) New court cost or fee or increase in existing court cost
or fee.
R.S. 13:62 - No enactment of a law providing for a new court
cost or fee or to increase an existing court cost or fee unless
first submitted to the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court for
review and recommendation to the legislature.
Requests involving court costs should be submitted to the
Judicial Council by January 15, 2008.
(c) New Assistant District Attorneys.
R.S. 16:54 - creates the Governor's Advisory and Review
Commission on Assistant District Attorneys within the office of
the governor. Determines necessity for additional assistant
district attorneys in each judicial district and prohibits
payment of state portion of compensation for such position
unless approved by the commission.
(d) Mandated Health Insurance Benefits.
R.S. 24:603.1 - Prior to consideration by legislative
committee, an impact report is to be attached to any instrument
imposting a health insurance mandate. Impact report to include
reliable estimate of the negative or positive fiscal effect of
such measure, including costs and savings.
|
