§177. Legislative intent; text, history, and other indices of intent

A. When the meaning of a law cannot be ascertained by the application of the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Preliminary Title of the Louisiana Civil Code and Chapter 1 of Title 1 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the court shall consider the intent of the legislature.

B.(1) The text of a law is the best evidence of legislative intent.

(2)(a) The occasion and necessity for the law, the circumstances under which it was enacted, concepts of reasonableness, and contemporaneous legislative history may also be considered in determining legislative intent.

(b) The legislature may express the intended meaning of a law in a duly adopted concurrent resolution, by the same vote and, except for gubernatorial veto and time limitations for introduction, according to the same procedures and formalities required for enactment of that law.

C. The legislature is presumed to have enacted an article or statute in light of the preceding law involving the same subject matter and court decisions construing those articles or statutes, and where the new article or statute is worded differently from the preceding law, the legislature is presumed to have intended to change the law.

D. A bill introduced but which does not become law is not competent evidence of legislative intent. Any action by the legislature other than enactment of law or adoption of a resolution as provided in Subparagraph (B)(2)(b) of this Section shall not constitute a confession as to the meaning of the law extant.

E.(1) The keyword, one-liner, summary and adjoining information, abstract, digest, and other words and phrases contained outside the sections of a bill following the enacting clause are solely to provide the members of the legislature with general indicia of the content of the bill and are not subject to amendment by the legislature or any committee of the legislature and shall not constitute proof or indicia of legislative intent.

(2) Fiscal and actuarial notes provide the legislature with an analysis of the potential fiscal impact of a bill based on presumptions made by the legislative fiscal officer, actuary, economist, or analyst preparing the note and shall not constitute proof or indicia of legislative intent.

(3) Committee minutes are summary reports of committee proceedings and shall not constitute proof or indicia of legislative intent.

(4) Words and phrases not constituting the substance of an amendment or the recommendations of a conference committee report, and any other legislative staff documents which are not subject to amendment by the legislature or any committee of the legislature, shall not constitute proof or indicia of legislative intent.

Acts 2006, No. 826, §3.