US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

§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 five hundred 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.  Any payment, under the allowance provided in Subsection A hereof 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.  Payment under the allowance provided in Subsection A for cost of utilities and other expenses shall be for reimbursement for cost of electric, water, gas, telephone, and telegraph service for the legislator's district office and for such other office expenses, including but not limited to stationery and other supplies.

C.  The allowance provided in Subsection A shall be withdrawn from the treasury and paid to the persons entitled thereto in the same manner as is provided by law for the salary provided in R.S. 24:31.1.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 five hundred 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.

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.

NOTE:  Acts 2005, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 16, §2, provides that the Act is to be applied retroactively and prospectively.