§ 13:998 — Nonrefundable fee; assessment and disposition

§998. Nonrefundable fee; assessment and disposition
A. In addition to all other fees and costs now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk
of the district court in the parishes of Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, East Carroll, West Carroll,
Franklin, Jackson, St. Landry, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, St. Bernard, Ouachita, Union,
Richland, Tensas, Sabine, DeSoto, Vermilion, and Lafayette, except as otherwise provided
by law and subject to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq., shall
collect from every person filing any suit or proceeding for divorce, annulment of marriage,
or establishment or disavowal of the paternity of children a nonrefundable fee of ten dollars
per such suit.
NOTE: Subsection B eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
B. The clerks of the respective district courts, within thirty days of the close of each
fiscal year, shall remit all funds collected pursuant to this Section to be deposited in the state
treasurer's account for credit to a special statutorily dedicated fund account after meeting the
requirements of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The monies in this
account shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state
general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to the
account following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the
Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.
Disbursement of funds shall be made by the office of children and family services in the
Department of Children and Family Services, or its successor, in accordance with Paragraph
(E)(2) of this Section and only in amounts appropriated by the legislature. Monies deposited
into this account shall be categorized as fees and self-generated revenue for the sole purpose
of reporting related to the executive budget, supporting documents, and general
appropriations bills and shall be available for annual appropriations by the legislature.
NOTE: Subsection B as enacted by Acts 2025, No. 477, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
B. The clerks of the respective district courts, within thirty days of the close of each
fiscal year, shall remit all funds collected pursuant to this Section to be deposited in the state
treasurer's account for credit to a special statutorily dedicated fund account after meeting
the requirements of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The monies in
this account shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the
state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited
to the account following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the
Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.
Disbursement of funds shall be made by the Department of Children and Family Services,
or its successor, in accordance with Paragraph (E)(2) of this Section and only in amounts
appropriated by the legislature. Monies deposited into this account shall be categorized as
fees and self-generated revenue for the sole purpose of reporting related to the executive
budget, supporting documents, and general appropriations bills and shall be available for
annual appropriations by the legislature.
C. The monies appropriated by the legislature and disbursed from this special
account shall not displace, replace, or supplant appropriations from the general fund. This
Subsection shall mean that no appropriation for any fiscal year from the special account 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.
D. All monies in the account shall be used solely for the purposes of providing fiscal
support to those non-profit organizations located and operating within the respective parishes
that provide shelter for battered women and their children. A shelter is defined for purposes
of this Section as a temporary residence providing assistance to battered women and their
children in the reestablishment of independent living from a financial, emotional, and
psychological perspective.
NOTE: Paragraph (E)(1)(intro. para.) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
E.(1) Within thirty days of receipt of such funds, the office of children and family
services shall distribute the funds among those qualifying organizations. A qualifying
organization must be recognized as a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code and be located and operated within Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, East
Carroll, West Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, St. Landry, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, St.
Bernard, Ouachita, Union, Richland, Tensas, Sabine, DeSoto, Vermilion, or Lafayette Parish
and shall provide:
NOTE: Paragraph (E)(1)(intro. para.) as enacted by Acts 2025, No. 477, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
E.(1) Within thirty days of receipt of such funds, the Department of Children and
Family Services shall distribute the funds among those qualifying organizations. A
qualifying organization shall be recognized as a nonprofit organization under Section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be located and operated within Caddo,
Calcasieu, Caldwell, East Carroll, West Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, St. Landry, Lincoln,
Madison, Morehouse, St. Bernard, Ouachita, Union, Richland, Tensas, Sabine, DeSoto,
Vermilion, or Lafayette Parish and shall provide:
(a) A shelter with a minimum of eight beds.
(b) Two in-house meals per day.
(c) Residencies for no less than fifteen days nor more than six months.
(d) A meaningful program to assist in the reestablishment of independent living from
a financial, emotional, and psychological perspective.
(2) Funds shall be apportioned among the qualifying organizations in each respective
parish on the same percentage basis that the qualifying organizations' points bear to the total
number of points of all qualifying organizations in the respective parishes. Each qualifying
organization shall receive five points per available bed, one point for each percentage of bed
occupancy during the year, and two points for each person sheltered for at least fifteen days.
All figures shall be based on the qualifying organizations' performance during the preceding
calendar year.
NOTE: Paragraph (E)(3) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
(3) Organizations seeking to be qualified shall apply on an annual basis to the office
of children and family services within the time and in the manner designated by the office
of children and family services and afford such reasonable proof as is required to establish
its entitlement to funds.
NOTE: Paragraph (E)(3) as enacted by Acts 2025, No. 477, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
(3) Organizations seeking to be qualified shall apply on an annual basis to the
Department of Children and Family Services within the time and in the manner designated
by the department and afford such reasonable proof as is required to establish its entitlement
to funds.

Legislative History

Acts 1995, No. 963, §1; Acts 1997, No. 573, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 141, §1; Acts 2001, No. 39, §1; Acts 2009, No. 409, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2019, No. 404, §3, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2025, No. 477, §6, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.