§ 24:31.4 — Members' office allowance

Louisiana § 24:31.4

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 24: Legislature and Laws

Text

§31.4. Members' office allowance
A. In addition to the salary, per diem, and all other allowances provided by law for
members of the legislature, each member of the legislature shall be paid a monthly expense
allowance in the amount of one thousand dollars per month, or so much thereof as may be
necessary, for payment of rent for office space in a parish or parishes which he represents,
and for payment of the cost of maintaining utilities in said office or offices and for other
expenses related to the holding or conduct of their office.
B.(1) Any payment under the allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section for
office rental shall be used only for payment of rental for office space in a building situated
in a parish which the member represents, and in no case shall payment be made for office
space which is located in the legislator's residence or in any other property owned wholly or
in part by the legislator or a member of his family. Payment under the allowance provided
in Subsection A of this Section for cost of utilities and other expenses shall be for
reimbursement for cost of electric, water, gas, and telephone service for the legislator's
district office and for other office expenses, including but not limited to stationery and other
supplies.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a legislator may lease
office space for his district office from a lessor from whom he also leases other commercial
office space except as otherwise prohibited by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection. In such case,
the monthly expense allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section and any allowance
for office expenses authorized pursuant to the rules of procedure of the house of the legislator
may be used for the payment of rent which represents the fair market value for the amount
of space exclusively allocated for his district office and for the payment of the prorated cost
of maintaining utilities in the office for the amount of space exclusively allocated for his
district office. Transactions relative to the district office and for such payment are expressly
authorized and shall be in accordance with the provisions of this Section and the rules of
procedure of the house of the legislator.
C. The allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section shall be withdrawn from
the treasury and paid to the persons entitled thereto in the same manner as is provided by law
for the salary provided in R.S. 24:31.1. Each member shall be required to file with the
presiding officer, prior to payment of the allowance each month, an itemized statement of
expenses, and appropriate invoices or receipts supporting the same. The amount of the
allowance paid to each member each month shall be equal to the total amount of the itemized
statement, provided that in no case shall the total reimbursement exceed one thousand
dollars.
D. However, in the event of a disaster or other emergency which necessitates the
temporary relocation of a legislator's district office or in the event a legislator's district office
is damaged to an extent that impedes the function of the office, the presiding officer of the
house of the legislator may authorize the payment of rent for office space within the state and
the reimbursement of other expenses related to the holding or conduct of the legislator's
office during the duration of the temporary relocation or district office recovery process, as
the case may be. Each such legislator shall be required to file with the presiding officer, prior
to payment of such expenses each month, an itemized statement of expenses and appropriate
invoices or receipts supporting the same. The total amount of the payment and
reimbursement for a legislator's office expenses, including those authorized by this
Subsection, shall not exceed the total amount per month for office expenses to which the
legislator is otherwise entitled by law and the rules of procedure of his house.
E. The commissioner of administration shall promulgate and implement a procedure
whereby, at no cost to a legislator, surplus space in immovable property owned by the state
and located within a parish represented in whole or in part by a legislator may be utilized as
the legislator's office. The commissioner of administration shall promulgate such procedure
by rule in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and proposed rules relative to
such procedure shall be subject to the approval of the House and Governmental Affairs
Committee and the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. A legislator seeking to
utilize such surplus space as his office shall make a written request for such space to the
commissioner. Priority for such space shall be given to legislators in the order in which the
requests are received.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1972, No. 259, §1. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 44, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1975; Acts 1980, No. 89, §1, eff. July 1, 1980; Acts 1982, No. 53, §1; Acts 1992, No. 520, §1, eff. June 26, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 248, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1316, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 2005, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 16, §1, eff. Nov. 29, 2005; Acts 2008, No. 603, §1, eff. June 30, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 861, §10; Acts 2012, No. 728, §1; Acts 2022, No. 608, §1, eff. July 1, 2022.