SB 397: ELECTED OFFICIALS: Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office. (8/1/26) - Louisiana

SB397 Original → SB397 Act · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill formalizes the text of Senate Bill 397 into an official Act, changing the title from 'Original' to 'Enrolled' and adding signatures from the Senate President, House Speaker, and Governor. The substantive policy regarding vacancies for elected officials remains unchanged, but the document is now the final, approved version of the law.

Scope change

The bill's scope is now finalized as an 'Act' rather than a draft proposal, making it legally binding upon approval.

TECHNICAL

The document title changed from 'ORIGINAL' to 'ENROLLED' to reflect its status as the final approved version.

Signatures and titles for the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and Governor were added to certify the bill's passage and approval.

The page count was updated from 'Page 1 of 2' to 'Page 1 of 1' to reflect the consolidation of the bill into a single page.

The specific reference to the bill being 'Original' in the header and footer was replaced with 'ACT No. 262' and 'SB NO. 397' respectively.

SB397 Enrolled → SB397 Original · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill updates the legislative document formatting for the 2026 Regular Session, changing the header from 'ENROLLED' to 'ORIGINAL' and adding a digest that explains the bill's purpose. The digest clarifies that the law prevents retired, resigned, or removed elected officials from running for their previous office unless the removal was due to a curable legal defect. It also explicitly states that the bill does not affect the Supreme Court's authority to appoint judges.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope remains focused on vacancy rules for elected officials, but the document now includes a detailed digest explaining the eligibility restrictions and confirming that judgeships are exempt from these rules.

DOCUMENTATION

Added a 'Digest' section explaining that the law bars retired or removed officials from seeking re-election to their former office unless the removal was for a curable defect.

Added a clarification that the proposed law does not impact the Supreme Court's authority to appoint judges or apply to judgeships.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document header from 'ENROLLED' to 'ORIGINAL' and updated page numbering and session coding.

SB397 Reengrossed → SB397 Enrolled · 3 edits · May 12, 2026

MINOR

The bill transitioned from a 'Reengrossed' draft to its final 'Enrolled' version, ready for the Governor's signature. The most significant change is the addition of formal approval signatures from the Senate President, Speaker of the House, and Governor, which is required for a bill to become law. Additionally, the document was condensed from two pages to one by removing the legislative digest and explanatory notes.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding vacancy rules for elected officials remains unchanged; the only scope change is the removal of the explanatory digest and the addition of final executive approvals.

TECHNICAL

Added approval signatures from the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and Governor, indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages.

Removed the two-page legislative digest and explanatory notes that summarized the bill's purpose and provided context for the changes.

Condensed the document from two pages to one by eliminating the digest section and adjusting page headers.

SB397 Engrossed → SB397 Reengrossed · 2 edits · May 7, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to correct a specific legal error in the text. The original version incorrectly stated that the bill's provisions did not apply to judgeships, but the new version clarifies that only the specific appointment rules in Subsection A are excluded for judgeships. This change ensures that the bill's other provisions regarding the appointment of retired officials remain valid for judges.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was narrowed slightly regarding judgeships; the exclusion from the bill's rules now applies only to the specific appointment mechanism in Subsection A rather than the entire bill.

ELIGIBILITY

The exclusion of judgeships from the bill's provisions was changed from applying to the entire Subsection to applying only to Subsection A, allowing other parts of the bill to apply to judges.

TECHNICAL

Added a summary section noting that the amendments made to the engrossed bill are technical changes.

ELECTED OFFICIALS: Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office. (8/1/26)

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