Louisiana § RS 18:59.4 - The Louisiana Voter Registration Administrators' Certification Program; requirements; compensation

§ RS 18:59.4. The Louisiana Voter Registration Administrators' Certification Program; requirements; compensation

            A. The Louisiana Voter Registration Administrators' Certification Program is hereby established to formalize and recognize the professional standards of registrars of voters, chief deputy registrars, and confidential assistants to registrars of voters in the state.

            B. The voter registration administrators' certification program is designed to provide registrars of voters, chief deputy registrars, and confidential assistants educational courses and a curriculum to develop core skills required for election and voter registration administration and to establish additional professional bonds of achievement. The program will accomplish these goals by introducing registrars of voters, chief deputy registrars, and confidential assistants to registrars of voters to new ideas that will enhance effective performance in registration administration; creating opportunities to enhance professional development through attendance and involvement in respective state associations; emphasizing the need for continued maintenance of high standards for the registrars of voters offices; and providing recognition for the attainment of enhanced managerial and administrative skills.

            C. Only those persons holding the position of registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, and confidential assistant to a registrar of voters shall be eligible for participation in the voter registration administrators' certification program.

            D.(1) The requisite education and training will be provided through courses of the Certified Elections Registration Administrator program administered through Auburn University and the Election Center, a national certification designation. Any course taken by a registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant shall be a course that is required for the attainment of certification or maintenance of such certification.

            (2) The Voter Registration Administrators' Certification Program requires the following: a minimum of twelve courses of twelve hours in length for a total of one hundred forty-four hours to be completed within five years, except that if a gubernatorially declared state of emergency impacts the certification process, the course work shall be completed within six years; maintenance of a yearly rating of "excellent" as determined through the standards specified in R.S. 18:55(A); five years work experience related to the administration of elections and voter registration; and completion of all continuing education course hours required to maintain certification. If these requirements are not met, the registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant, as the case may be, will lose certification and certification compensation until certification requirements are once again attained.

            E.(1) The Voter Registration Administrators' Certification Program Committee is hereby created to govern the certification program. The certification committee shall be composed of five members who shall serve one-year terms and who may be reappointed. The members shall be appointed as follows:

            (a) One member shall be the chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Registrar of Voters Association who shall serve as chairman of the committee.

            (b) One member shall be the chairman of the subcommittee of the Legislative Committee of the Registrar of Voters Association appointed to explore the creation of a certification program.

            (c) Three members shall be registrars of voters, chief deputy registrars, or confidential assistants to registrars of voters who have received the designation of Certified Elections Registration Administrator.

            (2)(a) Documents establishing the successful completion of the certification program shall be submitted to and approved by the certification committee. Upon approval of the application for certification, a person holding the position of registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters shall receive the designation of Louisiana Certified Elections Administrator and notice of the approval shall be forwarded to the legislative auditor by the certification committee.

            (b) If, on July 1, 2006, a registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters has completed the educational and experience requirements as provided in Subsection D of this Section and the documents showing the successful completion of the program have been submitted to and approved by the certification committee and such approval documented to the secretary of state, the registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters shall be granted a seven percent increase in his annual salary as set forth in R.S. 18:55 or 59.

            (c) A registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters shall complete the requirements of Subsection D of this Section and this Subsection in order to receive the seven percent compensation enhancement. If a registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters does not complete the certification program as provided in Subsection D of this Section and this Subsection, his salary shall remain as provided in R.S. 18:55 or 59. If, after certification, a registrar of voters, chief deputy registrar, or confidential assistant to a registrar of voters does not receive certification renewal within each three-year period, or within a four-year period if a gubernatorially declared state of emergency impacts the certification process, his salary shall revert back to the salary scale provided for in R.S. 18:55 or 59. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 18:57, the failure to maintain certification shall result in the loss of the compensation enhancement provided for in this Section.

            Acts 2004, No. 785, §1, eff. July 1, 2004; Acts 2017, No. 176, §1, eff. June 14, 2017; Acts 2022, No. 274, §1, eff. June 3, 2022.