Rule 6.8. Recommittal: Constitutional amendments; special elections; propositions; study
resolutions; Capital Outlay Bill; minimum foundation resolution; legislative
instruments creating special funds; legislative instruments with a fiscal impact;
public records exceptions; interstate compacts
A.(1) A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Louisiana Constitution or
a bill which calls a special election or which proposes to submit a proposition or question to
the voters, having been referred to a standing committee, other than the Committee on Civil
Law and Procedure, under the provisions of Rule 6.5, if reported, shall be reported to the
Clerk of the House in accordance with the requirements of Rule 6.11(A). However, after
such report, any such House instrument ordered engrossed, immediately following the
engrossment order, and any such Senate instrument reported favorably or with amendments,
immediately following the reading of such report and action on any amendments reported,
shall be recommitted by the speaker to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.
(2)(a) Said committee shall study all legislative instruments recommitted to it
pursuant to this Paragraph, shall ensure that the ballot language is comprised of simple,
unbiased, concise, and easily understood language which conforms to all applicable laws,
and shall review the proposed election date at which the proposition or question is to be
submitted to the voters to ensure maximum voter turnout, to the extent practicable.
(b) Said committee shall also study all legislative instruments recommitted to it
pursuant to this Paragraph and shall report such measures to the full House "with
amendments" or "without amendments".
(c) Said committee shall study all joint resolutions recommitted to it, taking into
account other joint resolutions introduced in either the House or the Senate, and include with
the report a statement indicating whether the measures referred to it can be accomplished
statutorily without the necessity of the constitutional amendment and whether such measures
conflict with one another, and indicating the number of joint resolutions introduced and the
number reported by other standing committees.
B.(1) A resolution or a concurrent resolution which proposes that a committee or
committees of the House or a joint committee of the House and Senate perform a study of
any subject matter during the interim, or a resolution or a concurrent resolution proposing
any such study which either designates any legislator to serve thereon or provides that a
legislator shall be an appointing official, shall be referred to a standing committee under the
provisions of Rule 6.5 and, if reported by such committee, shall be reported to the Clerk of
the House in accordance with the provisions of Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report,
any such resolution reported favorably, with amendments, or by substitute shall be
immediately recommitted by the Speaker to the Committee on House and Governmental
Affairs.
(2) The Committee on House and Governmental Affairs shall study all such
instruments referred to it pursuant to this Rule, taking into account other study resolutions
introduced in either the House or the Senate, and shall report such instruments to the full
House either favorably or with amendments. Periodically, the committee shall file a report
with the House indicating whether such instrument may be duplicative or in conflict with
another, and indicating the total number of study resolutions introduced and the number
reported by each standing committee.
C. The capital outlay bill, being any bill being designated as the "comprehensive
state capital budget" pursuant to the mandate of Paragraph B of Section 11 and Paragraph A
of Section 6 of Article VII of the Constitution shall be referred by the presiding officer to the
Committee on Ways and Means. The committee's authority and duties with respect to such
instrument shall be as is generally provided by these Rules of Order, except that the
committee shall have no authority to propose amendments to said instrument other than to
those provisions affecting bonds or other evidences of indebtedness, including without
limitation the appropriation of the avails of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness, the
priority of issuance or expenditure thereof and the manner(s) of changing the priority of
issuance or expenditure. The bill shall be reported in accordance with the provisions of Rule
6.11(A). After such report, if the measure is ordered engrossed by the House, immediately
following such order, it shall be recommitted by the presiding officer to the Committee on
Appropriations. The committee's authority and duties with respect to such instrument shall
be as is generally provided by these Rules of Order, except that the committee shall have no
authority to propose amendments to said instrument except those provisions providing for
appropriation of funds other than the avails of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness.
D. Any concurrent resolution providing for the adoption of the formula for the
allocation of minimum foundation funds to parish and city school systems shall be referred
by the presiding officer to the Committee on Education. After the resolution is reported, if
the resolution is ordered engrossed by the House, immediately following such order it shall
be recommitted by the presiding officer to the Committee on Appropriations.
E. Any legislative instrument creating a special fund in the state treasury to which
proceeds from taxes, fees, or other charges are dedicated and any legislative instrument
amending provisions of law relative to such a special fund shall be referred to a standing
committee under the provisions of Rule 6.5 and, if reported, shall be reported to the clerk of
the House in accordance with the requirements of Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report,
any such House instrument ordered engrossed, immediately following the engrossment order,
and any such Senate instrument reported favorably or with amendments, immediately
following the reading of such report and action on any amendments reported, shall be
recommitted by the Speaker to the Committee on Appropriations.
F. Any legislative instrument with an estimated fiscal cost of one hundred thousand
dollars or more of state general funds annually in any one of the three ensuing fiscal years
as reflected in the fiscal note prepared in accordance with Joint Rule No. 4, or with a fiscal
cost that, although not specified in the fiscal note, is indicated in the fiscal note as likely to
equal or exceed one hundred thousand dollars of state general funds annually in any of the
three ensuing fiscal years, shall be referred to a standing committee under the provisions of
Rule 6.5 and, if reported, shall be reported to the Clerk of the House in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report, any such House instrument
ordered engrossed, immediately following the engrossment order, and any such Senate
instrument reported favorably or with amendments, immediately following the reading of
such report and action on any amendments reported, shall be recommitted by the Speaker to
the Committee on Appropriations.
G. Any legislative instrument which originates in the Senate which produces a net
decrease in fees or increases fees or taxes or which authorizes an increase in fees or taxes of
five hundred thousand dollars or more annually in any one of three ensuing fiscal years as
reflected in the fiscal note prepared in accordance with Joint Rule No. 4 or which provides
for or authorizes an increase in fees or taxes which, although not specified in the fiscal note,
is indicated in the fiscal note to likely exceed five hundred thousand dollars annually in any
of the three ensuing fiscal years shall be referred to a standing committee under the
provisions of Rule 6.5 and, if reported, shall be reported to the Clerk of the House in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report, any such
Senate instrument reported favorably or with amendments, immediately following the
reading of such report and action on any amendments reported, shall be recommitted by the
Speaker to the Committee on Ways and Means.
H. Any legislative instrument which contains a provision or provisions the effect of
which exempts or excepts certain information from the laws relative to public records,
having been referred to a standing committee other than the Committee on House and
Governmental Affairs under the provisions of Rule 6.5, if reported, shall be reported in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report, any such
House instrument ordered engrossed, immediately following the engrossment order, and any
such Senate instrument reported favorably or with amendments, immediately following the
reading of such report and action on any amendments reported, shall be recommitted by the
speaker to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
I. Any legislative instrument which contains a provision or provisions the effect of
which provides that the state join an interstate compact, having been referred to a standing
committee other than the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs under the
provisions of Rule 6.5, if reported, shall be reported in accordance with the requirements of
Rule 6.11(A). However, after such report, any such House instrument ordered engrossed,
immediately following the engrossment order, and any such Senate instrument reported
favorably or with amendments, immediately following the reading of such report and action
on any amendments reported, shall be recommitted by the Speaker to the Committee on
House and Governmental Affairs.
Mason's Manual: Sec. 620
HR 3, 1975; HR 6, 1977; HR 12, 1977; HR 13, 1977; HR 4, 1978; HR 18, 1979; HR
6, 1981; HR 23, 1981; HR 7, 1984; HR 18, 1985; HR 10, 1st Ex. Sess., 1986; HR 2, 1998;
HR 25, 2001; HR 73, 2003; HR 36, 2007, eff. June 22, 2007; HR 42, 2010, eff. April 26,
2010, until Jan. 9, 2012; HR 37, 2011, eff. June 8, 2011; HR 59, 2012; HR 6, 2013, eff. May
30, 2013; HR 31, 2013, eff. June 6, 2013 and Jan. 11, 2016.