2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 24 — Legislature and laws
RS 24:653 — Duties and functions

§653. Duties and functions

A. The committee shall make such study and examination of the matters pertaining to the budgeting and fiscal affairs of the state and its political subdivisions, their funds, revenues, expenditures, and any other financial affairs of the state and of its political subdivisions as may be deemed desirable by the committee or the legislature. The committee may also study and examine all requests for professional, personal, social service, and consulting service contracts to determine the impact of privatizing state government programs, functions, or activities. The committee shall make such reports of its findings and recommendations with regard to such matters to the legislature upon its request or as is deemed advisable by the committee.

B. Prior to and during each regular session of the legislature, the joint committee may make such studies and hold such hearings with respect to budget requests or statements and with respect to the executive budget as it shall deem appropriate and are necessary to carry out its duties and functions.

C. Following the review, analysis, and study of the proposed executive budget, the committee shall submit its findings and recommendations thereon to the members of the legislature not later than two weeks prior to each regular session of the legislature.

D. The committee shall make such continuing study and examination of matters pertaining to the budgeting of the state revenues and their expenditures, and the fiscal affairs of the state and its agencies, and shall make quarterly reports and recommendations to the legislature and such other reports as the committee or the legislature deems advisable.

E. The committee shall interpret the legislative intent respecting all fiscal and budgetary matters of the state and conduct general oversight and review of the budget execution processes of the various budget units and other agencies of the state when necessary.

F. The committee shall study, review, and approve or disapprove all transfers of funds from one program specified in the allotments established in each agency's budget to another program. Except as provided in R.S. 39:73 and 87.4, no transfer of funds from one program specified in the allotments in an agency's budget to another shall be made without prior approval of the committee.

G. The committee shall have the full power and authority to adopt rules and regulations prescribing and governing its procedures, policies, meetings, and any and all other activities relating to its functions and duties, including the power and authority to issue binding directives to agencies concerning the proper and efficient execution of their respective budgets as same were approved by the legislature.

H.(1) The committee shall have a litigation subcommittee which shall monitor and study the amounts of state funds required to pay judgments and compromises arising out of lawsuits against the state, its departments, and, with respect to payment of state funds as insurance premiums, the insurers thereof. The committee, by its own rules, motions, or resolutions, shall provide for the size, membership, appointment, all administrative matters, and the delegated powers and duties of the litigation subcommittee.

(2) No attorney representing the state or any of its departments or agencies or any of its employees entitled to indemnification under R.S. 13:5108.1 or R.S. 13:5108.2 shall sign any compromise or settlement which obligates the state to pay more than one million dollars without prior consultation with the attorney general and the members of the litigation subcommittee of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

I. The committee shall have the authority to nullify a penalty applied by the office of risk management relative to a state agency which has failed to receive certification after undergoing a loss prevention audit, as provided in R.S. 39:1536(B).

J. The committee may establish a subcommittee to execute its duties relative to oversight of performance-based budgeting under the Louisiana Government Performance and Accountability Act, as provided in Subpart D of Part II of Chapter 1 of Subtitle I of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. When the subcommittee acts on behalf of the committee, the chairman of the subcommittee shall provide to each member of the committee a summary report of the subcommittee's action.

K.(1) In the conduct of its responsibility to discharge the constitutional fiscal and budgetary responsibilities of the Louisiana Legislature, the committee shall consider the operating budgets of public entities and salaries of particular public officials which by law require the approval of the committee in accordance with the following:

(a) The committee shall consider operating budgets in advance of the beginning of a subject entity's fiscal year. If the committee finds that the entity has failed to receive the required approval, either by failure to appear or by committee disapproval of its budget, the committee may adopt a resolution to direct the commissioner of administration and the state treasurer to deny any warrant or payment of money from the state treasury for any amount contained within that budget. The committee may also adopt a resolution to direct the commissioner of administration and state treasurer to recommence the acceptance of warrants. If the committee determines that an entity whose operating funds are administered outside of the state treasury has failed to receive the required approval of its budget, either by failure to appear or by committee disapproval of its budget, the committee may adopt a resolution to that effect, and any expenditure of public monies by such entity shall constitute a violation of the provisions of Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(b) The consideration of salaries of public officials that by law require the approval of the committee shall occur prior to the execution of any employment contract for that official. The state shall not be liable for any payment of such salary if the salary has not been approved by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. The committee shall have the authority to adopt a resolution to direct the commissioner of administration and the state treasurer to deny any warrant or payment of money from the state treasury for any monies related to the payment of the salary at issue. The committee is also authorized to adopt a resolution to direct the commissioner of administration and state treasurer to recommence the acceptance of warrants.

(2) The provisions of this Section shall have no effect on the provisions of any contract which is in effect prior to July 1, 2008.

(3) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, the chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget may grant an entity, for good cause shown, an extension of time, not to exceed thirty days, to comply with the provisions of this Subsection, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget may grant an additional extension of time.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 538, §3, eff. March 10, 1980. Acts 1984, No. 694, §1; Acts 1997, No. 738, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1465, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 11, §1; Acts 2001, No. 894, §1, eff. June 26, 2001; Acts 2008, No. 842, §1, eff. July 8, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 861, §10.