HB 248

HLS 26RS-876  ORIGINAL
 2026 Regular Session
 HOUSE BILL NO. 248
 BY REPRESENTATIVE GREEN
 ELECTED OFFICIALS/COMP: Provides for the establishment and powers, functions, and
  duties of the Compensation Commission
1AN ACT
2 To enact Chapter 26 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised
3of R.S. 42:1481 through 1485, relative to compensation of elected officials; to
4provide for the Compensation Commission; to provide for the membership of the
5commission; to provide for the powers, duties, and functions of the commission; to
6provide for the evaluation and establishment of salaries and other compensation of
7certain elected officials by the commission; to provide for the duties of the legislative
8auditor relative to commission; to provide relative to assistance to the commission;
9to provide for implementation and effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11Section 1. Chapter 26 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
12 comprised of R.S. 42:1481 through 1485, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13CHAPTER 26. COMPENSATION COMMISSION
14§1481. Compensation Commission; domicile; meetings; staffing
15A. The Compensation Commission, hereafter referred to in this Chapter as
16the "commission", is hereby created pursuant to Article X, Section 23.1 of the
17Constitution of Louisiana.
18B.(1) The commission shall meet at least once each quarter until it completes
19a comprehensive examination and evaluation of the salary and other compensation
20for each elected official whose salary or other compensation was established by
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1statute as of January 1, 2026, and establishes a new salary and other compensation
2for each office or class of offices based upon its examination and evaluation.
3(2) The commission shall establish a work schedule for its examination and
4evaluation of the salary and other compensation of elected officials to ensure that it
5is able to establish a new salary and other compensation for each office or class of
6offices within its purview no later than January 15, 2037.
7C. The commission shall be domiciled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as an
8independent office within the legislative auditor's office. The legislative auditor
9shall provide staff support to the commission as requested and directed by the
10commission.
11§1482. Membership; qualifications; term of office; officers
12A. The commission shall be composed of fifteen members who shall be
13selected as follows:
14(1) The governor shall appoint three members.
15(2) The supreme court shall appoint one member.
16(3) The Conference of Court of Appeal Judges shall appoint one member.
17(4) The Louisiana District Judges Association shall appoint one member.
18(5) The Louisiana District Attorneys Association shall appoint one member.
19(6) The Louisiana Sheriffs' Association shall appoint one member.
20(7) The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association shall appoint one member.
21(8) The Louisiana State Coroner's Association shall appoint one member.
22(9) The Louisiana Assessors' Association shall appoint one member.
23(10) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member.
24(11) The member of the House of Representatives who is the chairman of the
25largest caucus or delegation of members of a political party with which the speaker
26of the House is not affiliated shall appoint one member.
27(12) The president of the Senate shall appoint one member.
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1(13) The member of the Senate who is the chairman of the largest caucus or
2delegation of members of a political party with which the president of the Senate is
3not affiliated shall appoint one member.
4B. All appointments to the commission shall be made from a list of qualified
5nominees submitted by the presidents of the accredited nonprofit private institutions
6of higher education domiciled in the state who shall constitute the nominating
7committee. The nominating committee shall timely submit the names of no fewer
8than five different eligible nominees for each position to each appointing authority
9listed in Subsection A of this Section. In the case of a vacancy, the nominating
10committee shall timely submit the names of no fewer than five different eligible
11nominees for the vacant position to the appropriate appointing authority.  In
12preparing the list of nominees, the nominating committee shall give due
13consideration to the demographics of the population of the state, including without
14limitation geography, gender, and race.
15C. Each person nominated to serve on the commission shall be a qualified
16elector of this state and shall not be a lobbyist or an employee of a lobbyist, a public
17employee, an elected public official, or an appointed public official other than as a
18member of the commission.
19D. Members of the commission shall serve one ten-year term and vacancies
20shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A member of the
21commission may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the membership of the
22commission.
23E. The member selected by the supreme court shall call the first meeting of
24the commission. At the first meeting, the commission shall elect a chairman and any
25other officers its deems necessary from among its members.
26§1483. Commission members; compensation prohibited; expenses
27Members of the commission shall not receive compensation for their
28services, but may be reimbursed actual expenses incurred in the performance of their
29duties as members of the commission.
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1§1484. Duties and functions
2A.   The commission shall conduct a comprehensive examination and
3evaluation of the salary and other compensation for each elected official whose
4salary or other compensation was established by statute as of January 1, 2026,
5including statewide elected officials, Public Service Commissioners, judges, district
6attorneys, sheriffs, coroners, clerks of court, tax assessors, and members of the
7legislature.
8B. The commission shall publish its compensation recommendation for an
9office no later than January fifteenth of the last full calendar year of a term of office
10for that office or class of offices following its evaluation of the salary and other
11compensation for that office or class of offices. The change in salary and other
12compensation shall become effective at the beginning of the subsequent term of
13office for that office. In the case of a class of offices with staggered terms, the
14change in compensation for that entire class of offices shall become effective at the
15beginning of first term of an office within the class following the establishment of
16the salary or other compensation. Any provision of law conflicting with the change
17in salary and other compensation established by commission shall be null and of no
18effect.
19C. All departments, agencies, and officials of the state and of political
20subdivisions of the state shall cooperate in furnishing to the commission such
21information and assistance as the commission deems necessary to discharge its
22duties.
23§1485. Termination
24The commission shall terminate on January 15, 2037, or when it notifies the
25legislature that it has completed its duty, whichever is earlier.
26Section 2. This Act shall take effect and become operative if and when the proposed
27 amendment of Article X of the Constitution of Louisiana contained in the Act which
28 originated as House Bill No.       of this 2026 Regular Session of the Legislature is adopted
29 at a statewide election and becomes effective.
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HLS 26RS-876  ORIGINAL
  HB NO. 248
  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)]
HB 248 Original  2026 Regular Session  Green
Abstract: Provides for a 15-member compensation commission to evaluate and establish
  the compensation of each elected official whose salary or other compensation was
  established by statute as of Jan. 1, 2026.
Proposed law provides for the Compensation Commission. Requires it to complete a
comprehensive examination and evaluation of the salary and other compensation for each
elected official whose salary or other compensation was established by statute as of Jan. 1,
2026, and to establish a new salary and other compensation for each office or class of offices
based upon its examination and evaluation no later than Jan. 15, 2037. Provides that it
consists of 15 members who serve 10-year terms all appointed from a list of eligible
nominees as follows:
(1)    The governor shall appoint three members.
(2)    The supreme court shall appoint one member.
(3)    The Conference of Court of Appeal Judges shall appoint one member.
(4)    The La. District Judges Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(5)    The La. District Attorneys Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(6)    The La. Sheriffs' Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(7)    The La. Clerks of Court Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(8)    The La. State Coroner's Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(9)    The La. Assessors' Assoc. shall appoint one member.
(10)   The speaker of the House shall appoint one member.
(11)   The member of the House of Representatives who is the chairman of the largest
   caucus or delegation of members of a political party with which the speaker of the
   House is not affiliated shall appoint one member.
(12)   The president of the Senate shall appoint one member.
(13)   The member of the Senate who is the chairman of the largest caucus or delegation
   of members of a political party with which the president of the Senate is not
   affiliated shall appoint one member.
Proposed law provides that appointments to the commission shall be from a timely submitted
list of least five eligible qualified nominees for each position to each appointing authority.
Provides members may be removed by the commission for cause and that vacancies are
filled in the manner of original appointment.
Proposed law provides that members must be residents and qualified voters of the state and
shall not be a lobbyist or an employee of a lobbyist, a public employee, an elected public
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HLS 26RS-876  ORIGINAL
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official, or an appointed public official other than as a member of the commission. Specifies
that the commission shall elect one of its members chairman and any other officers it deems
necessary. Prohibits commission from receiving compensation for their services, but
provides allows reimbursement of actual expenses. Provides that the commission is
domiciled in Baton Rouge and shall meet at least quarterly. Provides that any necessary staff
shall be provided by the legislative auditor.
Proposed law requires the commission to publish its compensation recommendation for an
office no later than Jan. 15th of the last full calendar year of a term of office for that office
or class of offices following its evaluation of the salary and other compensation for that
office or class of offices. Provides that the change in salary and other compensation shall
become effective at the beginning of the subsequent term of office for that office (or for the
beginning of the first term of an office in a class of offices with staggered terms) and any
conflicting provision of law shall be null and of no effect.
Proposed law provides that the commission shall terminate on Jan. 15, 2037, or when it
notifies the legislature that it has completed its duty, whichever is earlier.
Effective if and when the proposed amendment of Article X of the Constitution of La.
contained in the Act which originated as House Bill No.  of this 2026 R.S. of the
Legislature is adopted at a statewide election and becomes effective.
(Adds R.S. 42:1481-1485)
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