ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT: Removes the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the list of party primary elections. (8/1/26) (EG -$5,428,000 GF EX See Note)
Summary
SB 49 amends Louisiana election law to remove the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) from the list of offices classified as “party primary office” under R.S. 18:2(9). Under current law, certain offices are selected through party primary elections, including members of Congress, justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court, BESE, and the Public Service Commission. This bill deletes BESE from that list, meaning BESE would no longer be treated as a party primary office under this definition.
The bill is a narrow, technical change to the Elections Code, but it affects how BESE elections are categorized and potentially administered under Louisiana’s primary election framework. The bill is effective August 1, 2026, and amends only the statutory definition in R.S. 18:2(9). The digest notes no broader substantive changes beyond removing BESE from the party-primary classification.
Impact
SB 49 changes Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 18 by amending the definition of “party primary office” to exclude BESE. This alters the statutory list of offices subject to party primary election rules and may affect election administration, ballot structure, and candidate qualification procedures for BESE races, depending on how related provisions in election law incorporate this definition. The bill does not change the composition of BESE itself, but it does change the legal treatment of BESE elections under the state’s primary election system.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill: SB 49 passed the Senate unanimously, 35-0, on final passage. No committee transcript objections or floor debate are provided, and the committee amendment was described as technical. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a limited, noncontroversial election-law adjustment.
Contention
No specific opposition is documented in the provided materials, and there are no committee transcript excerpts showing debate. The only identifiable point of potential contention is the policy choice to remove BESE from party primary elections, which could affect how those seats are selected and whether they remain tied to partisan primary processes. However, based on the vote and available context, no organized opposition or major dispute is evident.
Provides for the methodology the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education uses to count students for purposes of the minimum foundation program (MFP) formula (OR +$100,000 GF EX See Note)
Provides relative to reports and certain commissions and advisory councils with respect to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education
Provides relative to the effectiveness of laws requiring reports to be submitted annually to the legislature by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education and provides relative to certain commissions and advisory councils
Dedicates certain tax revenue to provide for supplemental payments to certain public elementary and secondary school employees and establishes the Educational Compensation Fund. (7/1/25) (OR -$199,500,000 GF RV See Note)
Requests the state Department of Education, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, and postsecondary education management boards to promote artificial intelligence education for students and to encourage professional development relative to artificial intelligence for faculty and staff
Requires students to attain a minimum ACT score set by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as a prerequisite to high school graduation and prohibits state-administered end-of-course assessments for high school students (OR -$4,300,000 GF EX See Note)