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Louisiana Repeal Certain Education Funds and Dedicate Revenues to Teachers' Retirement System Amendment (April 2026)
| Louisiana Repeal Certain Funds and Dedicate Revenues to Teachers' Retirement System Amendment | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Public employee retirement funds and Public school teachers and staff |
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| Status On the ballot |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The Louisiana Repeal Certain Funds and Dedicate Revenues to Teachers' Retirement System Amendment is on the ballot in Louisiana as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on April 18, 2026.[1]
A "yes" vote supports amending the constitution to repeal the Education Excellence Fund, the Education Quality Trust Fund, and the Quality Education Support Fund, and instead apply the money in those funds to the Teachers' Retirement System. |
A "no" vote opposes amending the constitution, thus leaving the Education Excellence Fund, the Education Quality Trust Fund, and the Quality Education Support Fund intact. |
Overview
What would this amendment do?
- See also: Text of measure
This amendment would redirect certain state funds to provide for pay raises for public school employees by repealing the Education Excellence Fund, the Education Quality Trust Fund, and the Quality Education Support Fund, and instead apply the money in those funds to the Teachers' Retirement System. The savings resulting from this payoff would be used, under this amendment, to fund annual salary increases of $2,250 for public school teachers and $1,125 for eligible non-instructional support personnel.[1]
Louisiana voters previously rejected an amendment which would have made similar changes in 2025. On March 29, 2025, Louisiana voters rejected Amendment 2, which would have made changes to Louisiana’s fiscal policies, tax structure, and government spending regulations, including dissolving the Education Quality Trust Fund (Permanent Fund), Quality Education Support Fund (Support Fund), and Education Excellence Fund (EEF), and transferring the funds to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL). Out of the votes, 35% of voters approved the amendment, and 65% of voters rejected the amendment.
How does teacher retirement funding work in Louisiana?
- See also: Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana
In Louisiana, teacher retirement funding is managed by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL). TRSL, which was founded in 1936, provides pensions to public school teachers, administrators, and certain education personnel. The system is funded through a combination of employee contributions, employer contributions from the state and local school districts, and investment income from the TRSL trust fund. The benefits paid out are based on a formula that includes years of service, final average compensation, and a benefit multiplier.[2]
As of 2024, TRSL is funded at approximately 77.6%, according to a financial report.[3]
How did this amendment get on the ballot?
- See also: Path to the ballot
In order for a constitutional amendment to make the ballot in Louisiana, a two-thirds vote is required by one session of the Louisiana State Legislature. The amendment was introduced as House Bill 473 by State Rep. Julie Emerson (R-39). On May 12, the House passed HB 473 in a vote of 95-1. On June 9, 2025, the Senate passed the measure, with amendments, in a vote of 39-0. On June 10, the House passed HB 473 again by 92-0, but rejected the Senate amendments. A joint House and Senate committee issued a report on HB 473, and on June 12, the House voted to approve the amendment again by 97-0, and the Senate approved the amendment by 37-0.
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question for the amendment is as follows:[1]
| “ | Do you support an amendment to fund a $2,250 teacher pay raise and $1,125 support staff pay raise by utilizing the remaining savings from paying down the debt of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana with monies from certain constitutional funds?
(Effective January 1, 2027) (Amends Article VII, Section 10.8(A)(1), (2), and (4), (B), and (C)(1); Adds Article VII, Section 10.17; Repeals Article VII, Sections 10(F)(4)(d), 10.1, 10.8(A)(3) and (C)(3), and 10.16(A)(9))[4] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Louisiana Constitution
The ballot measure would amend Article VII, Section 10.8, adds Article VII, Section 10.17, and repeals Article VII, Sections 10(F)(4)(d), 10.1, 10.8(A)(3) and (C)(3), and 10.16(A)(9) of the Louisiana Constitution. The following underlined text would be added and struck-through text would be deleted:[5]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
Section 10
Expenditure of State Funds
(A) Revenue Estimating Conference. The Revenue Estimating Conference shall be composed of four members: the governor, or his designee, the president of the senate, or his designee, the speaker of the house or his designee, and a faculty member of a university or college in Louisiana who has expertise in forecasting revenues. Changes to the membership beyond the four members shall be made by law enacted by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house.
(B) Official Forecast. The conference shall prepare and publish initial and revised estimates of money to be received by the state general fund and dedicated funds for the current and next fiscal years which are available for appropriation. In each estimate, the conference shall designate the money in the estimate which is recurring and which is nonrecurring. All conference decisions to adopt these estimates shall be by unanimous vote of its members. Changes to the unanimous vote requirement shall be made by law enacted by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house. The most recently adopted estimate of money available for appropriation shall be the official forecast.
(C) Expenditure Limit.
(1) The legislature shall provide for the determination of an expenditure limit for each fiscal year to be established during the first quarter of the calendar year for the next fiscal year. However, the expenditure limit for the 1991-1992 Fiscal Year shall be the actual appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds for that year except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E). For subsequent fiscal years, the limit shall not exceed the expenditure limit for the current fiscal year plus an amount equal to that limit times a positive growth factor. The growth factor is the average annual percentage rate of change of personal income for Louisiana as defined and reported by the United States Department of Commerce for the three calendar years prior to the fiscal year for which the limit is calculated.
(2) The expenditure limit may be changed in any fiscal year by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house. Any such change in the expenditure limit shall be approved by passage of a specific legislative instrument which clearly states the intent to change the limit.
(3) Beginning with the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year, the expenditure limit shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (J) of this Section. The redetermination of the expenditure limit for each fiscal year from the 1991-1992 Fiscal Year through the 1994-1995 Fiscal Year shall only be used in computing the expenditure limit for the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year and shall not affect the expenditure limit already computed in accordance with this Paragraph for such fiscal years.
(4) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to or affect funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E).
(D) Appropriations.
(1) Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, money shall be drawn from the state treasury only pursuant to an appropriation made in accordance with law. Appropriations from the state general fund and dedicated funds except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E) shall not exceed the expenditure limit for the fiscal year.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this constitution, the appropriation or allocation of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring shall be made only for the following purposes:
(a) Retiring or for the defeasance of bonds in advance or in addition to the existing amortization requirements of the state.
(b)(i) Providing for payments against the unfunded accrued liability of the public retirement systems which are in addition to any payments required for the annual amortization of the unfunded accrued liability of the public retirement systems, as required by Article X, Section 29(E)(2)(c) of this constitution; however, any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems.
(ii) For Fiscal Year 2015-2016 through Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the legislature shall appropriate no less than ten percent of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring to the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana for application to the balance of the unfunded accrued liability of such systems existing as of June 30, 1988, in proportion to the balance of such unfunded accrued liability of each such system. Any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems.
(iii) For Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and each fiscal year thereafter, the legislature shall appropriate no less than twenty-five percent of any money designated in the official forecast as nonrecurring to the state retirement systems for application to their unfunded accrued liability. Money appropriated pursuant to this Item shall be applied by the receiving system to its outstanding positive amortization bases in the order in which they were created, from oldest to newest. The legislature may provide by law for a formula to distribute the nonrecurring money between those state retirement systems that have unfunded accrued liability. If the legislature has not provided by law for a distribution formula, nonrecurring money shall be appropriated pursuant to this Item to each system in the proportion that the system's total unfunded accrued liability bears to the total of all state system unfunded accrued liability, using the most recent system valuations adopted by the Public Retirement Systems' Actuarial Committee or its successor. Any payment to a state retirement system made pursuant to the provisions of this Item shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such system.
(c) Providing funding for capital outlay projects in the comprehensive state capital budget.
(d) Providing for allocation or appropriation for deposit into the Budget Stabilization Fund established in Article VII, Section 10.3 of this constitution.
(e) Providing for allocation or appropriation for deposit into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund established in Article VII, Section 10.2 of this constitution.
(f) Providing for new highway construction for which federal matching funds are available, without excluding highway projects otherwise eligible as capital projects under other provisions of this constitution.
(3)(a) The legislature shall provide by law for the payment by the state of supplements to the salaries of full-time local law enforcement and fire protection officers of the state. No law shall reduce any payments by the state provided as a supplement to the salaries of full-time local law enforcement and fire protection officers of the state. Beginning with the fiscal year which begins July 1, 2003, the legislature shall appropriate funds sufficient to fully fund the cost of such state supplement to the salaries of full-time law enforcement and fire protection officers.
(b) For the purposes of this Subparagraph, local law enforcement and fire protection officers shall mean and include the same classes of officers which are eligible for such state salary supplements under the law as of July 1, 2003.
(c) Full funding as required in Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph shall be equal to the amount which is required to meet the requirements of law.
(d) Neither the governor nor the legislature may reduce an appropriation made pursuant to this Subparagraph except that the governor may reduce such appropriation using means provided in the Act containing the appropriation, provided that two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature consent to any such reduction in writing.
(E) Balanced Budget. Appropriations by the legislature from the state general fund and dedicated funds for any fiscal year except funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E) shall not exceed the official forecast in effect at the time the appropriations are made.
(F) Projected Deficit.
(1) The legislature by law shall establish a procedure to determine if appropriations will exceed the official forecast and an adequate method for adjusting appropriations in order to eliminate a projected deficit. Any law establishing a procedure to determine if appropriations will exceed the official forecast and methods for adjusting appropriations, including any constitutionally protected or mandated allocations or appropriations, once enacted, shall not be changed except by specific legislative instrument which receives a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article III, Section 2 of this constitution, such law may be introduced and considered in any regular session of the legislature.
(2)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the contrary, adjustments to any constitutionally protected or mandated allocations or appropriations, and transfer of monies associated with such adjustments, are authorized when state general fund allocations or appropriations have been reduced in an aggregate amount equal to at least seven-tenths of one percent of the total of such allocations and appropriations for a fiscal year. Such adjustments may not exceed five percent of the total appropriation or allocation from a fund for the fiscal year. For purposes of this Subsubparagraph, reductions to expenditures required by Article VIII, Section 13(B) of this constitution shall not exceed one percent and such reductions shall not be applicable to instructional activities included within the meaning of instruction pursuant to the Minimum Foundation Program formula. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, monies transferred as a result of such budget adjustments are deemed available for appropriation and expenditure in the year of the transfer from one fund to another, but in no event shall the aggregate amount of any transfers exceed the amount of the deficit.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the contrary, for the purposes of the budget estimate and enactment of the budget for the next fiscal year, when the official forecast of recurring revenues for the next fiscal year is at least one percent less than the official forecast for the current fiscal year, the following procedure may be employed to avoid a budget deficit in the next fiscal year. An amount not to exceed five percent of the total appropriations or allocations for the current fiscal year from any fund established by law or this constitution shall be available for expenditure in the next fiscal year for a purpose other than as specifically provided by law or this constitution. For the purposes of this Subsubparagraph, an amount not to exceed one percent of the current fiscal year appropriation for expenditures required by Article VIII, Section 13(B) of this constitution shall be available for expenditures for other purposes in the next fiscal year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, monies made available as authorized under this Subsubparagraph may be transferred to a fund for which revenues have been forecast to be less than the revenues in the current fiscal year for such fund. Monies transferred as a result of the budget actions authorized by this Subsubparagraph are deemed available for appropriation and expenditure, but in no event shall the aggregate amount of any such transfers exceed the amount of the difference between the official forecast for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year.
(c) The legislature may provide by law for the implementation of the provisions of this Subparagraph.
(3) If within thirty days of the determination that appropriations will exceed the official forecast the necessary adjustments in appropriations are not made to eliminate the projected deficit, the governor shall call a special session of the legislature for this purpose unless the legislature is in regular session. This special session shall commence as soon as possible as allowed by the provisions of this constitution, including but not limited to Article III, Section 2(B).
(4) The provisions of Subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this Paragraph shall not be applicable to, nor affect:
(a) The Bond Security and Redemption Fund or any bonds secured thereby, or any other funds pledged as security for bonds or other evidences of indebtedness.
(b) The allocations provided for by Article VII, Section 4(D) and (E) of this constitution.
(c) The contributions made in accordance with Article X, Section 29(E) of this constitution.
(d) The Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund as defined in Article VII, Section 10.1(A)(1) of this constitution.
(e) The Millennium Trust as provided in Article VII, Section 10.8 of this constitution, except for appropriations from the trust.
(f) Any monies not required to be deposited in the state treasury as provided in Article VII, Section 9 of this constitution.
(g) The Medicaid Trust Fund for the Elderly created under the provisions of R.S. 46:2691 et seq.
(h) The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, as provided in Article VII, Section 10.15 of this constitution.
(i) The Louisiana Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund, as provided in Article VII, Section 28 of this Constitution.
(G) Year End Deficit. If a deficit exists in any fund at the end of a fiscal year, that deficit shall be eliminated no later than the end of the next fiscal year.
(H) Publication. The legislature shall have published a regular statement of receipts and expenditures of all state money at intervals of not more than one year.
(I) Public Purpose. No appropriation shall be made except for a public purpose.
(J) Definition of Funds. For the purposes of this Article, the state general fund and dedicated funds shall be all money required to be deposited in the state treasury, except that money the origin of which is:
(1) The federal government.
(2) Self-generated collections by any entity subject to the policy and management authority established by Article VIII, Sections 5 through 7.
(3) A transfer from another state agency, board, or commission.
(4) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to or affect funds allocated by Article VII, Section 4, Paragraphs (D) and (E).
Section 10.1
Quality Trust Fund; Education
(A) Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund.
(1) Effective January 1, 1987, there shall be established in the state treasury as a special permanent trust fund the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund, hereinafter referred to as the "Permanent Trust Fund." After allocation of money to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9(B) of this constitution, and notwithstanding Article XIV, Section 10 of this constitution, the treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the Permanent Trust Fund all money which is received after the first one hundred million dollars from the federal government under Section 1337(g) of Title 43 of the United States Code which is attributable to mineral production activity or leasing activity on the Outer Continental Shelf which has been held in escrow pending a settlement between the United States and the state of Louisiana; twenty-five percent of the recurring revenues received under Section 1337(g) of Title 43 of the United States Code which are attributable to mineral production activity or leasing activity on the Outer Continental Shelf; twenty-five percent of the interest income earned on investment of monies in the Permanent Trust Fund; seventy-five percent of the realized capital gains on investment of the Permanent Trust Fund, unless such percentage is changed by law enacted by two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature; and twenty-five percent of the dividend income earned on investment of the Permanent Trust Fund. No appropriation shall be made from the Permanent Trust Fund. If any such money has been received prior to the effective date of this Section, the treasurer shall transfer from the state general fund to the Permanent Trust Fund on the effective date of this Section an amount of money which shall make the Permanent Trust Fund balance equal to the amount of such money previously received, except for the first one hundred million dollars. After six hundred million dollars has been credited to the Permanent Trust Fund, the sum of fifty million dollars shall be credited to the Coastal Environment Protection Trust Fund, as established in R.S. 30:313, from those monies received from the federal government under Section 1337(g) of Title 43 of the United States Code which is attributable to mineral production activity or leasing activity on the Outer Continental Shelf and which has been held in escrow pending a settlement between the United States and the state of Louisiana; all funds in excess of seven hundred fifty million dollars shall be credited to the Permanent Trust Fund.
(2) After allocation of money to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9(B) of the constitution, and notwithstanding Article XIV, Section 10 of the constitution, seventy-five percent of the recurring revenues received under Section 1337(g) of Title 43 of the United States Code which are attributable to mineral production activity or leasing activity, and the percent remaining of the realized capital gains and interest income and dividend income earned on investment of the Permanent Trust Fund after the deposit required to the Permanent Trust Fund in Paragraph A(1) of this Section shall be deposited and credited to a special fund which is hereby created in the state treasury and which shall be known as the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund, hereinafter referred to as the "Support Fund".
(3) All recurring revenues and interest earnings shall be credited to the respective funds as provided in Subparagraphs (1) and (2) above until the balance in the Permanent Trust Fund equals two billion dollars. After the Permanent Trust Fund reaches a balance of two billion dollars, all interest earnings on the Permanent Trust Fund shall be credited to the Support Fund and all recurring revenues shall be credited to the State General Fund.
(B) Investment. The money credited to the Permanent Trust Fund pursuant to Paragraph (A) of this Section shall be permanently credited to the Permanent Trust Fund and shall be invested by the treasurer. Notwithstanding any provision of this constitution or other law to the contrary, a portion of money in the Permanent Trust Fund, not to exceed thirty-five percent, may be invested in stock. The legislature shall provide for procedures for the investment of such monies by law. The treasurer shall contract, subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission, for the management of such investments. The amounts in the Support Fund shall be available for appropriation to pay expenses incurred in the investment and management of the Permanent Trust Fund and for educational purposes only as provided in Paragraphs (C) and (D) of this Section.
(C) Reports; Allocation.
(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Board of Regents shall annually submit to the legislature and the governor not less than sixty days prior to the beginning of each regular session of the legislature a proposed program and budget for the expenditure of the monies in the Support Fund. Proposals for such expenditures shall be designed to improve the quality of education and shall specifically designate those monies to be used for administrative costs, as defined and authorized by law.
(2) Except for appropriations to pay expenses incurred in the investment and management of the Permanent Trust Fund, the legislature shall appropriate from the Support Fund only for educational purposes provided in Paragraph (D) of this Section and shall appropriate fifty percent of the available funds for higher educational purposes and fifty percent for elementary and secondary educational purposes. Those monies to be used for administrative costs shall be expended for such purposes only if so approved and appropriated by the legislature.
(3) The legislature shall appropriate the total amount intended for higher educational purposes to the Board of Regents and the total amount intended for elementary and secondary educational purposes to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education which boards shall allocate the monies so appropriated to the programs as previously approved by the legislature.
(4) The monies appropriated by the legislature and disbursed from the Support Fund shall not displace, replace, or supplant appropriations from the general fund for elementary and secondary education, including implementing the Minimum Foundation Program, or displace, replace, or supplant funding for higher education. For elementary and secondary education and for higher education, this Paragraph shall mean that no appropriation for any fiscal year from the Support Fund shall be made for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the previous year unless the total appropriations for that fiscal year from the state general fund for such purpose exceed general fund appropriations for the previous year. This Paragraph shall in no way limit general fund appropriations in excess of the minimum amounts herein established.
(D) Disbursement; Higher Education and Elementary and Secondary Education.
(1) The treasurer shall disburse not more than fifty percent of the monies in the Support Fund as that money is appropriated by the legislature and allocated by the Board of Regents for any or all of the following higher educational purposes to enhance economic development:
(a) The carefully defined research efforts of public and private universities in Louisiana.
(b) The endowment of chairs for eminent scholars.
(c) The enhancement of the quality of academic, research, or agricultural departments or units within a community college, college, or university. These funds shall not be used for athletic purposes or programs.
(d) The recruitment of superior graduate students.
(2) The treasurer shall disburse not more than fifty percent of the monies in the Support Fund as that money is appropriated by the legislature and allocated by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for any or all of the following elementary and secondary educational purposes:
(a) To provide compensation to city or parish school board professional instructional employees.
(b) To insure an adequate supply of superior textbooks, library books, equipment, and other instructional materials.
(c) To fund exemplary programs in elementary and secondary schools designed to improve elementary or secondary student academic achievement or vocational-technical skill.
(d) To fund carefully defined research efforts, including pilot programs, designed to improve elementary and secondary student academic achievement.
(e) To fund school remediation programs and preschool programs.
(f) To fund the teaching of foreign languages in elementary and secondary schools.
(g) To fund an adequate supply of teachers by providing scholarships or stipends to prospective teachers in academic or vocational-technical areas where there is a critical teacher shortage.
Section 10.16
Dedications of Mineral Revenues Section
(A) All mineral revenues as defined in Paragraph (D) of this Section received in each fiscal year by the state as a result of the production of or exploration for minerals, hereinafter referred to as "mineral revenues", shall be allocated as provided in this Section after the following allocations and deposits of mineral revenues have been made:
(1) To the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9 (B) of this constitution.
(2) To the political subdivisions of the state as provided in Article VII, Sections 4 (D) and (E) of this constitution.
(3) To the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund as provided by the requirements of Article VII, Section 10-A of this constitution and as provided by law.
(4) To the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Fund as provided by law.
(5) To the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and Game Preserve Fund as provided by law.
(6) To the Marsh Island Operating Fund and the Russell Sage or Marsh Island Refuge Fund as provided by law.
(7) To the MC Davis Conservation Fund as provided by law.
(8) To the White Lake Property Fund as provided by law.
(9) To the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund and Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 10.1 of this constitution.
(10) To the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 10.2 of this constitution and as provided by law.
(11) To the Mineral Revenue and Audit Settlement Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 10.5 of this constitution and as provided by law.
(12) To the Budget Stabilization Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 10.3 of this constitution and as provided by law.
(13) An amount equal to the state general fund deposited into the Transportation Trust Fund and the Louisiana State Transportation Infrastructure Fund as provided by law.
(B) Allocation of Mineral Revenues. After the allocations and deposits provided in Paragraph (A) of this Section, the mineral revenues received in each year in excess of six hundred sixty million dollars and less than nine hundred fifty million dollars shall be allocated as follows:
(1) Thirty percent shall be appropriated to the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers'Retirement System of Louisiana for application to the balance of the unfunded accrued liability of such systems existing as of June 30, 1988, in proportion to the balance of such unfunded accrued liability of each such system, until such unfunded accrued liability has been eliminated. Any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems.
(2) The remainder shall be deposited into the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund.
(C) Mineral revenues in excess of the base which would otherwise be deposited into the Budget Stabilization Fund under Subparagraph (A)(2) of Section 10.3 of this constitution, but are prohibited from being deposited into the fund under Subparagraph (C)(4) of Section 10.3 of this constitution, shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Thirty percent shall be appropriated to the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana for application to the balance of the unfunded accrued liability of such systems existing as of June 30, 1988, in proportion to the balance of such unfunded accrued liability of each such system, until such unfunded accrued liability has been eliminated. Any such payments to the public retirement systems shall not be used, directly or indirectly, to fund cost-of-living increases for such systems. The remainder shall be deposited into the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund.
(D) For purposes of this Section, "mineral revenues" shall include severance taxes, royalty payments, bonus payments, or rentals, with the following exceptions:
(1) Revenues designated as nonrecurring, pursuant to Article VII, Section 10(B) of this constitution.
(2) Revenues received by the state as a result of grants or donations when the terms or conditions thereof require otherwise.
(3) Revenues derived from any tax on the transportation of minerals.
Section 10.17
(A)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the contrary, no later than May 31, 2026, the state treasurer shall transfer to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana the liquidated fair market value of each of the following: (a) The Education Excellence Fund. (b) The Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund.
(c) The Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund.(2) The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall apply monies received pursuant to Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph to its oldest outstanding positive amortization base. After liquidation of such base, any remaining monies shall be applied to the next-oldest outstanding positive amortization base, until all such monies have been applied. If application of monies pursuant to the provisions of this Subparagraph are insufficient to fully liquidate an amortization base, after application of such monies the net remaining liability of such amortization base shall be reamortized with annual level-dollar payments calculated in the same manner asother system amortization payments and over the remainder of the amortization period originally established for that base.
(B)(1) Any net savings attributable to the payments made pursuant to Paragraph (A) of this Section shall be used by each public school system that participates in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana to provide a permanent salary increase, plus any related benefits, of two thousand two hundred fifty dollars for certificated personnel and one thousand one hundred twenty-five dollars for noncertificated personnel, as provided by law.
(2)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this constitution or law to the contrary, the minimum foundation program formula effective for the 2026-2027 school year shall include both of the following: (i) A permanent salary increase and related benefits for public school system personnel whose employers do not participate in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana equivalent to the permanent salary increase and related benefits provided pursuant to the provisions of Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph.
(ii) A calculation of the total amount necessary to complete funding of the permanent salary increase and related benefits granted pursuant to Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph for each public school system that participates in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana that did not realize net savings for the 2026-2027 school year attributable to the payments made pursuant to Paragraph (A) of this Section sufficient to fund such permanent salary increase and related benefits.(b)(i) Until the legislature approves a formula pursuant to Article VIII, Section 13 of this Constitution that includes the funding and permanent salary increase and related benefits required pursuant to Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph, they are deemed part of the formula most recently adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and approved by the legislature.
(ii) The provisions of this Subparagraph shall not be construed to infringe on the authority granted to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to Article VIII, Sections 3(A) and 13(B) of this Constitution and shall cease to apply when a new minimum foundation program formula that includes the funding and permanent salary increase required pursuant to Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph is adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or its successor and is approved by the legislature in conformity with the provisions of Article VIII, Section 13(B).
(c) Funding amounts required pursuant to the provisions of Item (a)(ii) of this Subparagraph shall be maintained for each public school system at the level established for that system for the 2026-2027 school year until a new minimum foundation program formula that includes the funding and permanent salary increase required pursuant to Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph is adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or its successor and is approved by the legislature in conformity with the provisions of Article VIII, Section 13(B).
(3) For the purposes of this Paragraph, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(a) "Personnel" shall mean persons employed in the positions for which an across-the-board pay raise was proposed in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 minimum foundation program formula for that fiscal year and for which a stipend was provided for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 in Act No. 4 of the 2024 Regular Session of the Legislature.
(b) "Public school system" shall mean any city, parish, or other local public school board; charter school; and any other elementary or secondary school governing authority.
Section 10.8
Millennium Trust
(A) Creation.
(1) There shall be established in the state treasury as a special permanent trust the "Millennium Trust." After allocation of money to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9(B) of this constitution, the treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the Millennium Trust certain monies received as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement, hereinafter the "Settlement Agreement", executed November 23, 1998, and approved by Consent Decree and Final Judgment entered in the case "Richard P. Ieyoub, Attorney General, ex rel. State of Louisiana v. Philip Morris, Incorporated, et al.", bearing Number 98-6473 on the docket of the Fourteenth Judicial District for the parish of Calcasieu, state of Louisiana; and all dividend and interest income and all realized capital gains on investment of the monies in the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the Millennium Trust the following amounts of monies received as a result of the Settlement Agreement:
(a) Fiscal Year 2000-2001, forty-five percent of the total monies received that year.
(b) Fiscal Year 2001-2002, sixty percent of the total monies received that year.
(c) Fiscal Year 2002-2003 and each fiscal year thereafter, seventy-five percent of the total monies received that year each fiscal year as a result of the Settlement Agreement. However, beginning in Fiscal Year 2011-2012 after the balance in the Millennium Trust reaches a total of one billion three hundred eighty million dollars, the The monies deposited in and credited to the Millennium Trust, received as a result of the Settlement Agreement, shall be allocated to the various funds within the Millennium Trust as provided in Subsubparagraphs (2)(b), (3)(b), and (4)(b) and (c) of this Paragraph. TOPS Fund.
(d) For Fiscal Year 2000-2001, Fiscal Year 2001-2002, and Fiscal Year 2002-2003, ten percent of the total monies received in each of those years for credit to the Education Excellence Fund which, notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (C)(1) of this Section, shall be appropriated for the purposes provided in Subsubparagraph (d) of Subparagraph (3) of Paragraph (C) of this Section.
(2)(a) The Health Excellence Fund shall be established as a special fund within the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall credit to the Health Excellence Fund one-third of the Settlement Agreement proceeds deposited each year into the Millennium Trust, and one-third of all investment earnings on the investment of the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall report annually to the legislature as to the amount of Millennium Trust investment earnings credited to the Health Excellence Fund.
(c) (b) Beginning on July 1, 2012, after After allocation of money to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as provided in Article VII, Section 9(B) of this constitution, the state treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the Health Excellence Fund an amount equal to the revenues derived from the tax levied pursuant to R.S. 47:841(B)(3).
(3)(a) The Education Excellence Fund shall be established as a special fund within the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall credit to the Education Excellence Fund one-third of the Settlement Agreement proceeds deposited each year into the Millennium Trust, and one-third of all investment earnings on the investment of the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall report annually to the legislature and the state superintendent of education as to the amount of Millennium Trust investment earnings credited to the Education Excellence Fund.
(b) Beginning Fiscal Year 2011-2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, the treasurer shall credit to the Education Excellence Fund one-third of all investment earnings on the investment of the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall report annually to the legislature and the state superintendent of education as to the amount of Millennium Trust investment earnings credited to the Education Excellence Fund.
(4)(a) The TOPS Fund shall be established as a special fund within the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall deposit in and credit to the TOPS Fund one-third of the Settlement Agreement proceeds deposited into the Millennium Trust, and one-third of all investment earnings on the investment of the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall report annually to the legislature as to the amount of Millennium Trust investment earnings credited to the TOPS Fund.
(b) Beginning Fiscal Year 2011-2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, the treasurer shall credit to the The TOPS Fund one hundred percent of the Settlement Agreement proceeds deposited into the Millennium Trust, and one-third one-half of all investment earnings on the investment of the Millennium Trust. The treasurer shall report annually to the legislature as to the amount of Millennium Trust Settlement Agreement proceeds and investment earnings credited to the TOPS Fund.
(c) Upon the effective date of this Subsubparagraph, the state treasurer shall deposit, transfer, or otherwise credit funds in an amount equal to such Settlement Agreement proceeds deposited in and credited to the Millennium Trust received by the state between April 1, 2011 and the effective date of this Subsubparagraph to the TOPS Fund.
(5) The amount of Settlement Agreement revenues deposited in the Millennium Trust and credited to the respective funds may be increased and the amount of such revenues deposited into the Louisiana Fund may be decreased by a specific legislative instrument which receives a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature.
(B) Investment. Monies credited to the Millennium Trust pursuant to Paragraph (A) of this Section shall be invested by the treasurer with the same authority and subject to the same restrictions as the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund. as provided by law. However, the portion of monies in the Millennium Trust which may be invested in stock may be increased to no more than fifty percent by a specific legislative instrument which receives a favorable vote of two-thirds of the elected members of each house of the legislature. The legislature shall provide for procedures for the investment of such monies by law. The treasurer may contract, subject to the approval of the State Bond Commission, for the management of such investments and, if a contract is entered into, amounts necessary to pay the costs of the contract shall be appropriated from the Millennium Trust.
(C) Appropriations. (1)(a) Appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund shall be limited to an annual amount not to exceed the estimated aggregate annual earnings from interest, dividends, and realized capital gains on investment of the trust allocated as provided by Paragraph (A) of this Section and as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference. Amounts determined to be available for appropriation shall be those aggregate investment earnings which are in excess of an inflation factor as determined by the Revenue Estimating Conference. The amount of realized capital gains on investment which may be included in the aggregate earnings available for appropriation in any year shall not exceed the aggregate of earnings from interest and dividends for that year.
(b)(i) For Fiscal Year 2011-2012, appropriations from the Health Excellence Fund shall be limited to an annual amount not to exceed the estimated aggregate annual earnings from interest, dividends, and realized capital gains on investment of the trust and credited to the Health Excellence Fund as provided by Subsubparagraph (A)(2)(b) of this Section and as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference.
(ii) For Fiscal Year 2012-2013, and each fiscal year thereafter, appropriations Appropriations from the Health Excellence Fund shall be limited to an annual amount not to exceed the estimated aggregate annual earnings from interest, dividends, and realized capital gains on investment of the trust and credited to the Health Excellence Fund as provided by Subsubparagraph (A)(2)(b) (A)(2)(a) of this Section and as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference and the amount of proceeds credited to and deposited into the Health Excellence Fund as provided by Subsubparagraph (A)(2)(c) (A)(2)(b) of this Section.
(c)(i) For Fiscal Year 2011-2012, appropriations from the TOPS Fund shall be limited to the amount of Settlement Agreement proceeds credited to and deposited into the TOPS Fund as provided by Subsubparagraphs (A)(4)(b) and (c) of this Section, and an annual amount not to exceed the estimated aggregate annual earnings from interest, dividends, and realized capital gains on investment of the trust and credited to the TOPS Fund as provided by Subsubparagraph (A)(4)(b) of this Section and as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference.
(ii) (b)(i) For Fiscal Year 2012-2013, and each fiscal year thereafter, appropriations Appropriations from the TOPS Fund shall be limited to the amount of annual Settlement Agreement proceeds credited to and deposited into the TOPS Fund as provided in Subsubparagraph (A)(4)(b) Subparagraph (A)(4) of this Section, and an annual amount not to exceed the estimated aggregate annual earnings from interest, dividends, and realized capital gains on investment of the trust and credited to the TOPS Fund as provided in Subsubparagraph (A)(4)(b) Subparagraph (A)(4) of this Section and as recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference.
(iii) (ii) Further, for Fiscal Year 2011-2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, amounts Amounts determined to be available for appropriation from the TOPS Fund from interest earnings shall be those aggregate investment earnings which are in excess of an inflation factor as determined by the Revenue Estimating Conference. The amount of realized capital gains on investment which may be included in the aggregate earnings available for appropriation in any year shall not exceed the aggregate of earnings from interest and dividends for that year.
(2) Appropriations from the Health Excellence Fund shall be restricted to the following purposes:
(a) Initiatives to ensure the optimal development of Louisiana's children through the provision of appropriate health care, including children's health insurance, services provided by school-based health clinics, rural health clinics, and primary care clinics, and early childhood intervention programs targeting children from birth through age four including programs to reduce infant mortality.
(b) Initiatives to benefit the citizens of Louisiana with respect to health care through pursuit of innovation in advanced health care sciences, and the provision of comprehensive chronic disease management services.
(c) Each appropriation from the Health Excellence Fund shall include performance expectations to ensure accountability in the expenditure of such monies.
(3) Appropriations from the Education Excellence Fund shall be limited as follows:
(a) Fifteen percent of monies available for appropriation in any fiscal year from the Education Excellence Fund shall be appropriated to the state superintendent of education for distribution on behalf of all children attending private elementary and secondary schools that have been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, both academically and as required for such school to receive money from the state.
(b) Appropriations shall be made each year to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority in the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars and to the Louisiana School for the Deaf, the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, the Louisiana Special Education Center in Alexandria, the Jimmy D. Long, Sr. Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Louis Armstrong High School for the Arts, and Thrive Academy, after such schools are operational, to provide for a payment to each school of seventy-five thousand dollars plus an allocation for each pupil equal to the average statewide per pupil amount provided each city, parish, and local school system pursuant to Subparagraph
(e) of this Subparagraph.
(c) Appropriations may be made for independent public schools approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or any city, parish, or other local school system, laboratory schools approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and operated by a public postsecondary education institution, and for alternative schools and programs which are authorized and approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education but are not subject to the jurisdiction and management of any city, parish, or local school system, to provide for an allocation for each pupil, which shall be the average statewide per pupil amount provided in each city, parish, or local school system pursuant to Subparagraph (e) of this Subparagraph.
(e) Beginning Fiscal Year 2007-2008 and for each fiscal year thereafter, of the monies available for appropriation after providing for the purposes enumerated in Subsubparagraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Subparagraph, one hundred percent of the monies available for appropriation in any fiscal year shall be appropriated for each city, parish, and other local school system on a pro rata basis which is based on the ratio of the student population of that school or school system to that of the total state student population as contained in the most recent Minimum Foundation Program.
(f) Monies appropriated pursuant to this Subparagraph shall be restricted to expenditure for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade instructional enhancement for students, including early childhood education programs focused on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school, remedial instruction, and assistance to children who fail to achieve the required scores on any tests passage of which are required pursuant to state law or rule for advancement to a succeeding grade or other educational programs approved by the legislature. Expenditures for maintenance or renovation of buildings, capital improvements, and increases in employee salaries are prohibited. The state superintendent of education shall be responsible for allocating all money due private schools.
(g) Each recipient entity shall annually prepare and submit to the state Department of Education, hereinafter the "department", a prioritized plan for expenditure of funds it expects to receive in the coming year from the Education Excellence Fund. The plan shall include performance expectations to ensure accountability in the expenditure of such monies. The department shall review such plans for compliance with the requirements of this Subparagraph and to assure that the expenditure plans will support excellence in educational practice. No funds may be distributed to a recipient entity until its plan has received both legislative and departmental approval as provided by law.
(h) No amount appropriated as required in this Paragraph shall displace, replace, or supplant appropriations from the general fund for elementary and secondary education, including implementing the Minimum Foundation Program. This Subsubparagraph shall mean that no appropriation for any fiscal year from the Education Excellence Fund shall be made for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the previous year unless the total appropriations for the fiscal year from the state general fund for such purpose exceed general fund appropriations of the previous year. Nor shall any money allocated to a city or parish school board pursuant to this Paragraph displace, replace, or supplant locally generated revenue, which means that no allocation to any city or parish school board from the investment earnings attributable to the Education Excellence Fund shall be expended for any purpose for which a local revenue source was expended for that purpose for the previous year unless the total of the local revenue amount expended that fiscal year exceeds the total of such local revenue amounts for the previous fiscal year.
(i) The treasurer shall maintain within the state treasury a record of the amounts appropriated and credited for each entity through appropriations authorized in this Subparagraph and which remain in the state treasury. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this constitution to the contrary, such amounts, and investment earnings attributable to such amounts, shall remain to the credit of each recipient entity at the close of each fiscal year.
(4) Appropriations from the TOPS Fund shall be restricted to support of state programs for financial assistance for students attending Louisiana institutions of postsecondary education. [4]
Support
Supporters
Officials
- State Sen. Rick Edmonds (R)
- State Rep. Julie Emerson (R)
Arguments
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Opposition
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Campaign finance
Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.[6]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana
As of 2025, teacher retirement in Louisiana was managed by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL), which provided pensions to public school teachers, administrators, and certain education personnel. TRSL was founded in 1936, and was the state's largest retirement program, providing services and benefits to more than 180,000 individuals. The system was funded through a combination of employee contributions, employer contributions from the state and local school districts, and investment income from the TRSL trust fund. The benefits paid out are based on a formula that includes years of service, final average compensation, and a benefit multiplier. TRSL is governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees.[7][2]
Funds that would be repealed by amendment
Education Excellence Fund (EEF)
The Education Excellence Fund was established in 1999 when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1999 that proposed that 75% of the payments from a 1998 settlement that Louisiana made with tobacco companies should be placed in a trust fund for college scholarships, local school districts and health programs. As of 2025, EEF received annual deposits from investment earnings on the state’s share of the settlement. The fund provided money each year to public and nonpublic K-12 schools, charter schools, and early childhood programs, distributed on a per-student basis. Schools were required to use the funds for instructional improvements, such as technology upgrades, textbooks, tutoring, or enrichment programs; but not for salaries, benefits, or construction. At the time of the election, the Louisiana Department of Education oversaw EEF.[8]
Education Quality Trust Fund (EQTF)
The Education Quality Trust Fund, also known as the "8(g) Fund," was established in 1986 after Louisiana received a settlement from the federal government over offshore oil and gas revenue rights under Section 8(g) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The EQTF supported both K–12 and higher education, with about 70% of the earnings allocated to public elementary and secondary schools and 30% to higher education. Funds were used for educational improvements like professional development, academic remediation, and technology.[9]
Quality Education Support Fund (QESF)
The Quality Education Support Fund, also referred to as 8(g), was established in 1953 after a federal settlement with several states over offshore drilling and development. QESF was the statutory mechanism by which earnings from the EQTF are distributed. The QESF outlined how EQTF earnings were allocated annually, directing them toward programs that enhance teaching quality, curriculum development, and instructional support.[10]
Louisiana Amendment 2 (2025)
On March 29, 2025, Louisiana voters defeated Amendment 2, which would have made changes to Louisiana’s fiscal policies, tax structure, and government spending regulations located in Article VII of the state constitution. Among the changes, Amendment 2 would have dissolved the Education Quality Trust Fund (Permanent Fund), Quality Education Support Fund (Support Fund), and Education Excellence Fund (EEF). The funds generated approximately $68 million in recurring investment income, which would have resulted in a revenue loss upon the funds' dissolution. Funds would have been transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL).
Historical facts
A total of 48 constitutional amendments appeared on the statewide ballot in Louisiana during odd-numbered years from 2003 through 2023. Of the 48 amendments, 33 (68.75%) were approved and 15 (31.25%) were defeated.
| Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, 1999-2023 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Odd-year average | Odd-year median | Odd-year minimum | Odd-year maximum | |
| 48 | 33 | 68.757% | 15 | 31.25% | 4 | 4 | 0 | 15 | |
Path to the ballot
Amending the Louisiana Constitution
- See also: Amending the Louisiana Constitution
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one session of the Louisiana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments can be referred to the ballot in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years in Louisiana.
House Bill 473 (2025)
State Rep. Julie Emerson (R-39) introduced the amendment as House Bill 473 (HB 473) into the state House. The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:[11]
- May 12, 2025: The House passed HB 473 in a vote of 95-1.
- June 9, 2025: The Senate passed HB 473 with amendments in a vote of 39-0.
- June 10, 2025: The House again passed HB 473, but rejected the Senate's amendments to the bill, in a vote of 92-0.
- June 12, 2025: A joint House and Senate committee issued a report on HB 473. The House then voted to approve the amendment in a vote of 97-0. The Senate voted to approve the amendment in a vote of 37-0.
| Votes Required to Pass: 70 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 97 | 0 | 8 |
| Total % | 92.4% | 0.0% | 7.6% |
| Democratic (D) | 26 | 0 | 6 |
| Republican (R) | 71 | 0 | 2 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 26 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 37 | 0 | 2 |
| Total % | 94.8% | 0.0% | 4.2% |
| Democratic (D) | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican (R) | 27 | 0 | 1 |
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Louisiana
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Louisiana.
See also
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 473," accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 TRSL, "About TRSL," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Flux Console, "2024 Popular Annual Financial Report," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedOverview - ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "Search," accessed June 20, 2025
- ↑ University of Louisiana at Lafayette, "Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL)," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Department of Education, "Education Excellence Fund," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana.gov, "LEQTF Annual Report," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ BESE, "8(g) Grants Program," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "House Bill 473 Overview," accessed June 13, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ WWNO, "Louisiana now requires proof of citizenship to vote, but hasn’t issued any guidance," January 15, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana Voter Registration Application," accessed June 30, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
