LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS: Provides relative to legislative sessions

HLS 26RS-2346 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 46
BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS: Provides relative to legislative sessions
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 To adopt Joint Rule No. 23 of the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives
3 to provide for sessions of the Legislature of Louisiana.
4 BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of Louisiana that Joint Rule No. 23 of the
5 Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives is hereby adopted to read as follows:
6 Joint Rule No. 23. Sessions
7 A. The legislature shall meet annually in regular session for a limited number
8 of legislative days in the state capital beginning on the second Monday in April and
9 except as provided in Article III, Section 2(A)(2) of the Constitution of Louisiana,
10 ending no later than six o'clock in the evening on June first. A legislative day is a
11 calendar day on which either house is in session. No new matter intended to have the
12 effect of law shall be introduced or received by either house after six o'clock in the
13 evening of the tenth calendar day. No matter intended to have the effect of law,
14 except a measure proposing a suspension of law, shall be considered on third reading
15 and final passage in either house after six o'clock in the evening on May twenty-
16 ninth, except by a favorable record vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each
17 house.
18 B.(1) No member of the legislature may introduce more than five bills that
19 were not prefiled, except as provided in Joint Rule No. 18.
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1 (2) Except as provided in Subparagraph (3) of this Paragraph, any bill that
2 is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be prefiled no later than five
3 o'clock in the evening of the tenth calendar day prior to the first day of a regular
4 session.
5 (3) Any bill to effect any change in laws relating to any retirement system
6 for public employees that is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be
7 prefiled no later than five o'clock in the evening of the forty-fifth calendar day prior
8 to the first day of a regular session.
9 C.(1) All regular sessions convening in even-numbered years shall be
10 general in nature. No measure levying or authorizing a new tax by the state or by any
11 statewide political subdivision whose boundaries are coterminous with the state;
12 increasing an existing tax by the state or by any statewide political subdivision
13 whose boundaries are coterminous with the state; or legislating with regard to tax
14 exemptions, exclusions, deductions or credits, shall be introduced or enacted during
15 a regular session held in an even-numbered year.
16 (2) During any session convening in an odd-numbered year, no matter
17 intended to have the effect of law, including any suspension of law, shall be
18 introduced or considered unless its object is to enact the General Appropriation Bill;
19 enact the comprehensive capital budget; make an appropriation; levy or authorize a
20 new tax; increase an existing tax; levy, authorize, increase, decrease, or repeal a fee;
21 dedicate revenue; legislate with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions,
22 reductions, repeals, or credits; or legislate with regard to the issuance of bonds. In
23 addition, a matter intended to have the effect of law, including a measure proposing
24 a suspension of law, which is not within the subject matter restrictions provided in
25 this Subparagraph may be considered at any such session if:
26 (a) It is prefiled no later than the deadline provided in Paragraph B, provided
27 that the member shall not prefile more than five such matters pursuant to this
28 Subsubparagraph; or
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1 (b) Its object is to enact a local or special law which is required to be and has
2 been advertised in accordance with Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of
3 Louisiana and which is not prohibited by the provisions of Article III, Section 12 of
4 the Constitution of Louisiana.
5 D. The legislature shall meet in an organizational session in the state capitol
6 to be convened at ten o'clock in the morning on the day the members are required to
7 take office. No such session shall exceed three legislative days. The session shall
8 be for the primary purpose of judging the qualifications and elections of the
9 members, taking the oath of office, organizing the two houses, and selecting officers.
10 No matter intended to have the effect of law shall be introduced at an organizational
11 session.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Concurrent Resolution shall become
13 effective if and when the proposed amendment of Article III of the Constitution of Louisiana
14 contained in the Act which originated as House Bill No. 752 of this 2026 Regular Session
15 of the Legislature is adopted at a statewide election and becomes effective.
DIGEST
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)]
HCR 46 Original 2026 Regular Session Green
Abstract: Provides for sessions.
Proposed Joint Rule provides that the legislature shall meet annually in regular session for
a limited number of legislative days in the state capital and provides that a legislative day
is a calendar day on which either house is in session.
Proposed Joint Rule provides that no member of the legislature may introduce more than five
bills that were not prefiled, except as provided in present Joint Rule. Provides that any bill
that is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be prefiled no later than 5 p.m of
the 10th calendar day prior to the first day of a regular session, except as otherwise provided.
Provides that any bill to effect any change in laws relating to any retirement system for
public employees that is to be prefiled for introduction in either house shall be prefiled no
later than 5 p.m. of the 45th calendar day prior to the first day of a regular session. Further
provides that the legislature may provide by joint rule for the procedures for passage of
duplicate or companion instruments.
Proposed joint rule provides that all regular sessions shall convene on the second Monday
in April and except as provided in present constitution, adjourn no later than 6 p.m on
June 1st. Provides that no new matter intended to have the effect of law shall be introduced
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or received by either house after 6 p.m. of the 10th calendar day. Provides that no matter
intended to have the effect of law, except a measure proposing a suspension of law, shall be
considered on third reading and final passage in either house after 6 p.m. on May 29th,
except by a favorable record vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house.
Provides that regular sessions convening in even-numbered years are general in nature.
Provides that no measure levying or authorizing a new tax by the state or by any statewide
political subdivision whose boundaries are coterminous with the state; increasing an existing
tax by the state or by any statewide political subdivision whose boundaries are coterminous
with the state; or legislating with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions or credits,
shall be introduced or enacted during a regular session held in an even-numbered year.
Proposed Joint Rule provides that during any session convening in an odd-numbered year,
no matter intended to have the effect of law, including any suspension of law, shall be
introduced or considered unless its object is to enact the General Appropriation Bill; enact
the comprehensive capital budget; make an appropriation; levy or authorize a new tax;
increase an existing tax; levy, authorize, increase, decrease, or repeal a fee; dedicate revenue;
legislate with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions, reductions, repeals, or
credits; or legislate with regard to the issuance of bonds. Provides that in addition, a matter
intended to have the effect of law, including a measure proposing a suspension of law, which
is not within the subject matter restrictions provided in proposed Joint Rule may be
considered at any such session if:
1. It is prefiled no later than the deadline provided in proposed Joint Rule, provided that
the member shall not prefile more than five such matters pursuant to proposed Joint
Rule; or
2. Its object is to enact a local or special law which is required to be and has been
advertised in accordance with present constitution and which is not prohibited by the
provisions of present constitution.
Proposed Joint Rule provides that the legislature shall meet in an organizational session in
the state capitol to be convened at ten o'clock in the morning on the day the members are
required to take office. Provides that no such session shall exceed three legislative days.
Provides that the session shall be for the primary purpose of judging the qualifications and
elections of the members, taking the oath of office, organizing the two houses, and selecting
officers. Further provides that no matter intended to have the effect of law shall be
introduced at an organizational session.
Proposed Joint Rule provides for effectiveness.
(Adds Joint Rule No. 23)
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are additions.