LEGISLATORS/TERMS: (Constitutional Amendment) Provides for legislative term limits (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Bayham

Prohibits a term-limited Louisiana legislator from running for the same office again for 10 years after the end of the third consecutive term.

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

Overview

HB 528 (Louisiana, 2026) is a constitutional amendment that would establish a 10-year prohibition on certain reelection attempts for legislators who are term-limited. The proposal is designed to modify the length of time a term-limited state senator or state representative must wait before qualifying for reelection to the same office.

Jurisdiction: Louisiana

Session: 2026 Regular Session

Sponsor: Rep. Bayham (co-sponsor: Mike Bayham)

Status: Proposed constitutional amendment to be voted on November 3, 2026

Purpose and Intent

To prohibit a term-limited state senator or state representative from qualifying for reelection to the same office for a period of 10 years after the end of the third consecutive term.

The amendment retains the existing constitutional framework that sets term limits at two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms, but changes the waiting period to 10 years following the end of the third consecutive term, rather than the succeeding term.

Key Provisions

Amendment to Article III, Section 4(E) of the Louisiana Constitution:

For Senators: A term-limited senator who has served more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms (with the relevant service beginning on/after January 8, 1996) shall not be elected to the Senate for 10 years following the end of the third consecutive term.
For Representatives: A term-limited representative who has served more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms (with the relevant service beginning on/after January 8, 1996) shall not be elected to the House for 10 years following the end of the third consecutive term.

The bill does not alter the total four-year term structure but changes the post-term reelection prohibition period to 10 years.

Submission: If approved, the amendment would be submitted to voters at the statewide election on November 3, 2026.

Who Is Affected

Legislators who have already reached term-limited status (as defined by the existing rule of “more than two and one-half terms in three consecutive terms” for each chamber) and who would otherwise be eligible to run for the same office again.

Potential candidates for the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives who are subject to the term-limits framework, as the waiting period to qualify for reelection would be extended to 10 years after the end of the third consecutive term.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Referendum process: Requires two-thirds of members elected to both houses to concur in proposing the amendment.

Ballot measure: The proposed amendment would appear on the statewide ballot for the November 3, 2026 election.

Ballot language: The proposition would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment prohibiting a term-limited legislator from qualifying for reelection to the same office for a 10-year period (amending Article III, Section 4(E)).

Practical Implications

If enacted, the 10-year prohibition would extend the time a term-limited legislator must wait before seeking reelection to the same office, potentially reducing incumbency opportunities for former lawmakers for a decade after their third consecutive term.

The amendment retains the current term-limit framework but imposes a significantly longer cooldown period before re-eligibility for the same office.

Bill