Constitutional amendment to add two members to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. (2/3-CA13s1(A)) (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Senate Bill 249 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the membership of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission from seven to nine members by amending Article IX, Section 7(A) of the Louisiana Constitution. The amendment modifies the composition requirement such that three members instead of one member shall serve a term concurrent with that of the governor, and six members instead of four members shall be electors from the state at large other than representatives of the commercial fishing and fur industries. The remaining three members continue to be electors of the coastal parishes and representatives of the commercial fishing and fur industries. The amendment maintains the existing requirement that six members serve overlapping terms of six years and preserves the restriction that no member having served six years or more shall be eligible for reappointment.

The practical effect of this amendment is to expand the decision-making body responsible for the control and supervision of wildlife and aquatic life in Louisiana. The increased membership from seven to nine provides two additional governor-appointed positions subject to Senate confirmation, with two of the new seats designated as governor-term concurrent appointments rather than long-term positions. This expansion affects the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission's internal structure and potentially its deliberative process, while the appointment mechanism remains consistent with existing gubernatorial and Senate confirmation procedures already established in the Constitution.

The amendment operates within Louisiana's constitutional framework governing the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, which vests control and supervision of the state's wildlife resources in this executive branch body. The constitutional amendment process requires approval by two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the Legislature, which Section 1 specifies has occurred for this proposal. The amendment must receive voter approval at the November 3, 2026 statewide election before it takes effect and becomes binding constitutional law governing the commission's membership composition and appointment procedures.