ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT: Provides for the increase of parish board of election supervisor meetings in certain parishes for certain races. (8/1/26) (EN +$192,000 GF EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tehmi Chassion and 1 co-sponsor

SB 202 increases parish election supervisors’ compensation days from six to seven, and from eight to nine for elections, subject to legislative funding.

Effective date 6/2/2026.

Purpose and Intent

SB 202 seeks to modify the compensation and time allowances for parish boards of election supervisors in Louisiana.

The bill specifically increases the number of days for which board members may be compensated for performing duties related to elections, and it adjusts the overall time frame to seven days (from six) and nine days (from eight) for certain election activities.

Implementation is contingent on state funding approval (per legislative appropriation language added by the committee amendments).

Key Provisions

Adjustment of Board Meeting Time Frame

For general compensation purposes, the statute currently provides that parish boards of election supervisors receive $150 for each day, not to exceed six days, spent performing duties.
SB 202 increases this time limit from six days to seven days.

Increase in Maximum Compensation Days for Election Events

Present law allows each board member to be compensated for up to eight days for:
- Presidential elections,
- Regularly scheduled elections,
- Special congressional primaries or general elections.
SB 202 increases this maximum to nine days.

Effective Date

The changes take effect on August 1, 2026.

Funding Contingency

The amendments include a clause requiring appropriation of funds by the legislature for the implementation of these provisions. In other words, the expanded compensation and days are subject to budgetary funding.

Who Is Affected

Parish boards of election supervisors (and their individual members) in Louisiana.

The primary financial impact is on the state’s General Fund (GF), with an estimated cost noted in the bill’s summary: +$192,000 GF (EX See Note). This figure suggests an anticipated annual or near-term cost increase tied to the additional compensation days.

Procedural and Timeline Details

Actions Taken:

Senate Finance committee amendments were added to SB 202 to specify implementation is subject to legislative appropriations.
The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate committee; it has an action history showing passage through initial readings and committee processes in 2026.

Effective Date: August 1, 2026, contingent on appropriations.

Notes and Context

The bill preserves the existing framework for compensation but expands the number of days for which board members can be paid, effectively increasing workload compensation for election-related duties.

The amendments underscore that funding must be explicitly provided by the Legislature to implement these changes, highlighting the bill's fiscal impact and budgetary dependency.

If you’d like, I can provide a brief comparative table showing current law vs. SB 202 language and a succinct fiscal impact note based on the stated $192,000 GF figure.

Bill