ELECTIONS/COMMISSIONERS: Provides for early voting commissioners assisting with the nursing home early voting program (EN +$38,400 GF EX See Note)

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Beth Billings
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 165
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Early Voting Commissioners for Nursing Homes

This act allows early voting commissioners to assist nursing homes with the early voting program and sets rules about their duties, training, oath-taking, affidavit completion, and pay.

What This Bill Does

Allows registrars of voters to use trained commissioners during early voting periods.
Requires these commissioners to assist in conducting the nursing home early voting program.
Needs commissioners to take an oath and fill out a form with personal information before helping.
Sets the pay for commissioners at $150 per day for their help.

Who It Names or Affects

Registrars of voters who manage elections.
Commissioners who assist in early voting.
Nursing home residents participating in early voting.

Terms To Know

Registrar of Voters: A person responsible for managing voter registration and election processes.
Commissioner: An assistant to the registrar who helps with early voting duties.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not specify how many commissioners are needed.
It is unclear what additional training, if any, commissioners must receive.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

House Floor Amendment #2374 Billings Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB551 4311 2374 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Billings to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB551 4311 2374 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Billings to Engrossed House Bill No.
551 by Representative Billings 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, at the beginning of line 13, delete "J.(1)(a)" and insert "J.(1)" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
2 4 On page 1, at the end of line 15, delete "office." and insert "office, including conducting the 5 nursing home early voting program pursuant to R.S.

Bill History

2026-05-15 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-15 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 165.
2026-05-14 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-14 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-13 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-13 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-12 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-04 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-29 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-28 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-31 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
2026-03-30 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-25 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 102, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-23 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/25/2026.
2026-03-23 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-18 H
Reported favorably (10-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-26 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-26 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

ELECTIONS/COMMISSIONERS: Provides for early voting commissioners assisting with the nursing home early voting program (EN +$38,400 GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 1652026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 551
BY REPRESENTATIVES BILLINGS AND CHASSION
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1309(J)(1), relative to use of commissioners by the registrar
3 of voters to assist the registrar during the early voting period; to provide for
4 assistance in conducting the nursing home early voting program; to provide for the
5 duties of the registrar of voters relative to the use of commissioners; to provide for
6 an oath of office to be taken by a commissioner; to provide for an affidavit to be
7 completed by a commissioner; to provide for compensation; and to provide for
8 related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 18:1309(J)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1309. Early voting; verification
12 * * *
13 J.(1) Upon approval of the secretary of state, a registrar of voters may utilize
14 commissioners selected and trained by the registrar of voters to assist the registrar
15 during the early voting period in the conduct of early voting by his office, including
16 conducting the nursing home early voting program pursuant to R.S. 18:1333. A
17 registrar of voters shall, in seeking the approval of the secretary of state, indicate to
18 the secretary the number of commissioners that is required for such assistance. A
19 commissioner who assists the registrar in the conduct of early voting shall take an
20 oath of office as a deputy registrar for the early voting period and shall complete an
21 affidavit prepared by the secretary of state that contains the name, address, and last
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 551 ENROLLED
1 four digits of the social security number of the early voting commissioner and an
2 acknowledgment that the law prohibits the disclosure of confidential voter
3 information listed in the precinct register or early voting list kept by the registrar.
4 The affidavit shall be retained in the office of the registrar of voters. A
5 commissioner who assists the registrar in the conduct of early voting shall be paid
6 one hundred fifty dollars for each day of such assistance. Commissioners shall also
7 be paid in accordance with R.S. 18:426.1(B), if applicable.
8 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.