Provides for the election of judges of the first district of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal

The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, 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)]

HB 369 Original 2026 Regular Session Lyons

Abstract: Provides for an additional election section in the first district of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Effective upon the signature of the governor for all purposes.

Statistical summaries of proposed law including maps illustrating proposed district boundaries accompany this digest.

Present law provides for the composition of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Provides that the parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist shall compose the fifth circuit. Further provides that the parish of Jefferson shall compose the first district of the fifth circuit. The parish of St. James and that portion of St. John the Baptist Parish east of the Mississippi River shall compose the second district of the fifth circuit. The parish of St. Charles and that portion of St. John the Baptist Parish west of the Mississippi River shall compose the third district of the fifth circuit.

Present law provides that the fifth circuit shall be composed of eight judges. Provides that six judges shall be elected from the first district of the fifth circuit by the qualified electors thereof. Proposed law retains present law.

Present law provides further that the first district of the fifth circuit shall be divided into two election sections and provides that five judges are assigned to election section one and one judge is assigned to election section two.

Proposed law instead provides that the first district shall be divided into three election sections. Further provides that four judges are assigned to election section one, one judge is assigned to election section two, and one judge is assigned to election section three.

Proposed law provides the first vacancy created by the death, resignation, retirement, or removal of a judge of the first district who was elected by the qualified electors of election section one shall be filled by election from election section three and such judgeship shall be assigned to election section three for election purposes thereafter. However, if no election has occurred or is scheduled to occur to fill a vacancy in such judgeship from election section three prior to the opening of qualifying for the regular statewide deletion in 2030, the regular election to fill the judgeship designated as Division B of the first district shall be held in election section three of the first district and such division shall be assigned to election section three for election purposes thereafter.

Proposed law specifies that precincts referenced in district descriptions are those precinct identified as Voting Districts (VTDs) in the 2020 Census Redistricting TIGER/Line Shapefiles for the state of La. as validated through the data verification program of the La. legislature. Also specifies that if any such precinct has been subdivided by action of the parish governing authority on a nongeographic basis or subdivided by action of the parish governing authority on a geographic basis in accordance with present law, the enumeration of the general precinct designation shall include all nongeographic and all geographic subdivisions thereof. Further provides that the territorial limits of the districts as enacted shall continue in effect without change regardless of any subsequent change made to the precincts by the parish governing authority.

Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.

(Amends R.S. 13:312(5)(b)(i) and 312.1(E)(2))