Re-creates the Department of State and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law

Bill Overview: House Bill 117 re-creates the Louisiana Department of State and all statutory entities that are legally designated as part of that department. This legislation appears to be an amendment to existing law that restores or re-establishes the Department of State after it may have been previously abolished, consolidated, or restructured. The bill serves the practical purpose of ensuring the Department of State continues to exist as a functioning executive branch agency with its traditional responsibilities for maintaining official state records, overseeing elections, and performing other constitutional duties. Without the full bill text, the specific legal mechanism cannot be determined, but this type of "re-creation" language typically indicates the department's legal existence was set to expire or had been terminated.

Potential Impact: The re-creation of the Department of State would directly affect all Louisiana citizens who interact with state government services traditionally housed within this department, including voter registration, election oversight, business entity filings, notary public commissions, and maintenance of official state records. State employees currently working in functions that would fall under the re-created department may experience organizational restructuring, potential job security, or changes in administrative procedures. Local election officials, parish registrars of voters, and clerks of court who coordinate with the Department of State on election administration and record-keeping would need to adjust their operational relationships with the re-established agency. Businesses seeking to incorporate, register trade names, or file other official documents would be affected by any changes in processing procedures or organizational structure. If this bill fails to pass and the Department of State is not re-created, Louisiana could face a constitutional crisis regarding election oversight and official record maintenance, as these functions are constitutionally mandated but would lack a designated executive agency to perform them.

Affected Legislation: Without access to the full bill text, the specific statutory citations and constitutional provisions cannot be identified with the precision required for professional analysis. The re-creation of the Department of State would likely affect multiple provisions within Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 49 (State Administration) where executive departments are typically codified, and potentially numerous other statutory sections throughout the Louisiana Revised Statutes that reference the Department of State's various functions including election law, business entity registration, and public records maintenance. A complete analysis of affected legislation must await availability of the full bill text to identify the exact statutory citations and specific changes being made to existing law.