Louisiana legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Louisiana SB397: ELECTED OFFICIALS: Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office. (8/1/26)
Status: Signed into law, May 15, 2026
What the bill says
An act To enact R.S. 18:586(C), relative to vacancies; to provide for vacancies when an elected official has retired, resigned, or been removed from office; to prohibit an official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from office from being appointed to or qualifying for election to the same office in which the official resigned, retired, or was removed; to provide for certain exceptions; and to provide for related matters.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT To enact R.S. 18:586(C), relative to vacancies; to provide for vacancies when an elected official has retired, resigned, or been removed from office; to prohibit an official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from office from being appointed to or qualifying for election to the same office in which the official resigned, retired, or was removed; to provide for certain exceptions; and to provide for related matters. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: Section 1. R.S. 18:586(C) is hereby enacted to read as follows: §586. Vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal; prohibitions * * * C. This Section does not purport to impact the constitutional authority of the supreme court to appoint a sitting or retired judge to any court, and the provisions of this Subsection shall not be applicable to judgeships. Page 1 of Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SLS 26RS-540 ORIGINAL SB NO. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services. The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] DIGEST SB 397 Original 2026 Regular Session Reese Present law provides …
Sponsors
- Reese, Mike (R, 30) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Effective date 8/1/2026.
- : Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 262.
- : Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.
- : Signed by the Speaker of the House.
- : Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.
- : Received from the House without amendments.
- : Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 92, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.
- : Called from the calendar.
- : Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.
- : Notice given.
Votes
- House Vote on SB 397, FINAL PASSAGE (#1027) (May 7, 2026): 92 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Vote on SB 397, FINAL PASSAGE (#111) (March 23, 2026): 35 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is SB397?
- SB397 is a bill in the Louisiana Legislature (2026 Regular Session): ELECTED OFFICIALS: Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office. (8/1/26).
- What does SB397 do?
- In its own words: An act To enact R.S. 18:586(C), relative to vacancies; to provide for vacancies when an elected official has retired, resigned, or been removed from office; to prohibit an official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from office from being appointed to or qualifying for election to the same office in which the official resigned, retired, or was removed; to provide for certain exceptions; and to provide for related matters.
- What is the status of SB397?
- Signed into law as of May 15, 2026. Latest action: Effective date 8/1/2026. (May 15, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB397?
- Reese, Mike (R, 30).
- Where is the official record for SB397?
- On the Louisiana Legislature website: https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=26RS&b=SB397
Source: official Louisiana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.