Louisiana 2026 Regular Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB 397 — ELECTED OFFICIALS: Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office. (8/1/26)

Last action — Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 262.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 27, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Jeff Landry (Republican) on May 15, 2026.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill sets rules for filling vacancies when elected officials leave office.

This legislation outlines how to handle vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal of elected officials. It also prohibits those who leave office under these circumstances from running for or being appointed to that same position, with some exceptions for judges.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

8 added · 33 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Bill SB 397, a reference to "ACTNo.262" has been removed. This change simplifies the bill by eliminating a specific citation, which could make it easier to understand and apply. Removing such details may help prevent confusion and ensure the bill focuses on the key issues it addresses.

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Previous
Latest
SLS 26RS-540 REENGROSSED Regular Session SENATE BILL NO.
Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE BILL NO.
397 BY SENATOR REESE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
397 BY SENATOR REESE AN ACT To enact R.S.
Provides for vacancies caused by retirement, resignation, or removal from elected office.
(8/1/26) AN ACT To enact R.S.
to prohibit an official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from office from being appointed to or qualifying for election to the same office in which the official resigned, retired, or was removed;
to prohibit an official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from office from beingappointed to or qualifying for election to the same office in which the official resigned, retired, or was removed;
This Section does not purport to impact the constitutional authority of the supreme court to appoint a sitting or retired judge to any court, and the provisions of Subsection Aof this Section shall not be applicable tojudgeships.
This Section does not purport to impact the constitutional authority of the supreme court to appoint a sitting or retired judge to any court, and the provisions of Subsection A of this Section shall not beapplicable tojudgeships.
Page 1 of 2 Coding:
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:
Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
Page 1 of 1 Coding:
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SLS 26RS-540 REENGROSSED SB NO.
397 The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared bySenate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, 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)] DIGEST SB 397 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Reese Presentlawprovidesthatnoelectedofficialwhohasretired,resigned,orbeenremovedfrom state or local elective office can be appointed to succeed himself in the office from which the official retired, resigned, or was removed, unless removal was due to a defect that is capable of being legally cured prior to qualifying for the election to fill the vacancy.
Present law prohibits an elected official who has retired, resigned, or been removed from stateorlocalelectiveofficefrombeingeligibleasacandidateat anelectioncalledto fill the vacancycreated bythe retirement, resignation, or removal of the elected official, unless the removal was due to a defect that is capable of being legallycured prior to qualifying for the election to fill the vacancy.
Proposed law provides that present law does not purport to impact the constitutional authorityofthesupremecourttoappointasittingorretiredjudgetoanycourt.Providesthat proposed law does not apply to judgeships.
Effective August 1, 2026.
(Adds R.S.
18:586(C)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill 1.
Makes technical changes.
Page 2 of 2 Coding:
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Amendments

1 amendment

Click Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.

Action History

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 262.

  2. Effective date 8/1/2026.

  3. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

  4. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. Received from the House without amendments.

  7. Called from the calendar.

  8. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 92, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  9. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  10. Notice given.

  11. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.

  12. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/06/2026.

  13. Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

  14. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  15. Reported favorably (10-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  16. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

  17. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  18. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  19. Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  20. Reported favorably.

  21. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

  22. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 146 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

FINAL PASSAGE (#1027)

Passed 92 Yea · 0 Nay · 13 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6001
Republican 61007
Democrat 25005
Total 920013
% of votes cast 88%0%0%12%
How each member voted (105)
Member Party Vote
Mr. Speaker — Yea
Amedee — Yea
Galle — Yea
Stagni — Yea
Johnson, T. — Yea
Landry, T. — Not Voting
St. Blanc — Yea
Adrian Fisher Democrat Yea
Aimee Adatto Freeman Democrat Yea
Alonzo L. Knox Democrat Yea
Barbara Carpenter Democrat Not Voting
C. Denise Marcelle Democrat Yea
Candace N. Newell Democrat Yea
Chasity Martinez Democrat Yea
Dana Henry Democrat Yea
Delisha Boyd Democrat Yea
Ed Murray Democrat Yea
Edmond Jordan Democrat Yea
Gerald Boudreaux Democrat Yea
III, Ed Larvadain Democrat Yea
Joy Walters Democrat Not Voting
Jr., Kyle M. Green Democrat Not Voting
Ken Brass Democrat Yea
Mandie Landry Democrat Yea
Marcus Anthony Bryant Democrat Yea
Pat Moore Democrat Not Voting
Rashid Armand Young Democrat Yea
Robby Carter Democrat Yea
Rodney Lyons Democrat Yea
Roy Daryl Adams Democrat Yea
Shaun Raphael Mena Democrat Yea
Sr., Wilford Carter Democrat Not Voting
Steven Jackson Democrat Yea
Sylvia Elaine Taylor Democrat Yea
Tammy T. Phelps Democrat Yea
Tehmi Jahi Chassion Democrat Yea
Vanessa Caston LaFleur Democrat Yea
Annie Spell Republican Yea
Barbara Reich Freiberg Republican Yea
Beth Anne Billings Republican Yea
Brett F. Geymann Republican Not Voting
Brian Leonard Glorioso Republican Yea
Bryan Fontenot Republican Yea
Chad Michael Boyer Republican Yea
Chance Keith Henry Republican Yea
Christopher Turner Republican Yea
Danny McCormick Republican Not Voting
Daryl Andrew Deshotel Republican Yea
Debbie Villio Republican Yea
Dixon Wallace McMakin Republican Yea
Dodie Horton Republican Yea
Emily Chenevert Republican Yea
Foy Bryan Gadberry Republican Not Voting
Francis C. Thompson Republican Yea
Gregory A. Miller Republican Yea
III, Roger William Wilder Republican Yea
III, Vincent E. Cox Republican Yea
IV, Gerald "Beau" Beaullieu Republican Yea
Jack McFarland Republican Not Voting
Jacob Braud Republican Yea
Jacob Jules Landry Republican Yea
Jason Brian DeWitt Republican Yea
Jeffrey "Jeff" Fons Wiley Republican Yea
Jeremy LaCombe Republican Yea
Jerome Zeringue Republican Yea
Jessica Domangue Republican Yea
John E. Wyble Republican Yea
Joseph A. Orgeron Republican Yea
Josh Carlson Republican Yea
Jr., Dennis Bamburg Republican Yea
Jr., John R. Illg Republican Yea
Jr., Michael Robert Bayham Republican Yea
Kathy Edmonston Republican Not Voting
Kellee Hennessy Dickerson Republican Yea
Kim Carver Republican Yea
Kimberly Landry Coates Republican Yea
Larry A. Bagley Republican Not Voting
Lauren Ventrella Republican Yea
Laurie Schlegel Republican Yea
Les Farnum Republican Yea
Mark Wright Republican Yea
Michael "Gabe" Firment Republican Yea
Michael Charles Echols Republican Yea
Michael Melerine Republican Yea
Mike Johnson Republican Yea
Neil Riser Republican Yea
Nicholas Muscarello Republican Yea
Paul Sawyer Republican Yea
Phillip Eric Tarver Republican Not Voting
Polly Thomas Republican Yea
R. Dewith Carrier Republican Yea
Raymond J. Crews Republican Yea
Reese "Skip" Broussard Republican Yea
Rhonda Gaye Butler Republican Yea
Robert "Bob" Owen Republican Yea
Rodney Schamerhorn Republican Yea
Ryan Bourriaque Republican Yea
Shane Mack Republican Yea
Sr., Peter F. Egan Republican Yea
Stephanie H. Berault Republican Yea
Stephanie Hilferty Republican Yea
Timothy P. Kerner Republican Yea
Tony Bacala Republican Yea
Troy Jude Hebert Republican Yea
Wayne McMahen Republican Yea

Official roll call →

FINAL PASSAGE (#111)

Passed 35 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 1000
Republican 24003
Democrat 10000
Total 35003
% of votes cast 92%0%0%8%
How each member voted (38)
Member Party Vote
Mr. President — Yea
Edward J. Price Democrat Yea
Gary Carter Democrat Yea
Gerald Boudreaux Democrat Yea
Jay Luneau Democrat Yea
Jimmy Harris Democrat Yea
Katrina R. Jackson-Andrews Democrat Yea
Larry Selders Democrat Yea
Regina Barrow Democrat Yea
Royce Duplessis Democrat Yea
Sam Jenkins Democrat Yea
Adam Bass Republican Yea
Alan Seabaugh Republican Not Voting
Beth Mizell Republican Yea
Blake Miguez Republican Not Voting
Bob Hensgens Republican Yea
Brach Jerad Myers Republican Yea
Caleb Kleinpeter Republican Yea
Eddie J. Lambert Republican Yea
Franklin J. Foil Republican Yea
Glen Womack Republican Yea
Gregory A. Miller Republican Yea
Heather Cloud Republican Not Voting
Jeremy Stine Republican Yea
John C. "Jay" Morris Republican Yea
Jr., William "Bill" Wheat Republican Yea
Kirk Talbot Republican Yea
Mark Abraham Republican Yea
Michael "Big Mike" Fesi Republican Yea
Mike Reese Republican Yea
Patrick Connick Republican Yea
Patrick McMath Republican Yea
Rick Edmonds Republican Yea
Robert "Bob" Owen Republican Yea
Robert Allain Republican Yea
Stewart Jr. Cathey Republican Yea
Thomas A. Pressly Republican Yea
Valarie Hodges Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 397?
SB 397 is sponsored by Mike Reese (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 397?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 27, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 397?
Track SB 397 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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