2018 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 33 - Municipalities and Parishes
RS 33:9613 - Investigative powers

§9613. Investigative powers

A.(1) A local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general may make investigations and examinations, within or outside of the state of Louisiana as each deems necessary, in order to carry out the duties of its mandate under law, and may gather evidence in any matter in any legally appropriate manner.

(2) In the performance of its duties, a local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of the inspector general may administer oaths and take the testimony of those sworn.

(3) In the performance of its duties, a local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of the inspector general may compel the attendance of witnesses to be deposed under oath or the production of public and private records by issuing a subpoena. Except as provided in Paragraph (4) of this Subsection, such a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum shall be issued only upon approval of a judge of the district court of the parish in which a local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general is domiciled upon application in writing by such entity, board, or office. The judge shall issue a written decision within seventy-two hours after receipt of such application. Any subpoena for production of private records shall be in compliance with all applicable constitutionally established rights and processes. Any request for financial records in the possession or under the control of a bank pursuant to this Chapter is subject to and shall comply with the requirements and procedures of R.S. 6:333. The subpoena may be served by certified mail, return receipt requested, at the addressee's residence or business address, or by representatives appointed by the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general, or may be directed for service to the office of the municipal police. If a person refuses to obey a subpoena issued by the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general, the district court of the parish in which the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general is domiciled may issue an order to the person requiring the person to appear before the court to show cause why an order shall not be issued ordering such person to obey the subpoena.

(4)(a) In the performance of its duties, a local office of inspector general in the city of New Orleans or parish of Jefferson may issue an administrative subpoena duces tecum to require the production of books, records, documents, or other evidence deemed relevant or material to an investigation, audit, or inspection. The subpoena duces tecum shall be issued only in furtherance of the authority provided by local ordinance and by Subsections D and E of this Section and shall comply with all applicable constitutionally established rights and processes.

(b) The subpoena duces tecum may be served by certified mail, return receipt requested, at the addressee's residence or business address.

(c) The entity receiving the subpoena duces tecum may file a motion with the district court of the parish in which the office of inspector general is domiciled to amend or quash the subpoena. The motion shall be filed any time before the date for attendance or compulsion specified in the subpoena or within twenty days after the subpoena duces tecum has been served, whichever is earlier. In no event shall any penalty attach to the recipient of such an administrative subpoena duces tecum for failure to respond without an order from the district court of the parish in which the office of inspector general is domiciled.

(d) If the subpoena duces tecum is not quashed and is not complied with by the date for production of documents, the office of the inspector general may apply to the district court of the parish in which the office of inspector general is domiciled for an order compelling compliance with the subpoena. Any person failing to comply with the order compelling compliance shall be adjudged in contempt of court.

B. Any costs and attorney's fees incurred by the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general may be taxed against the person who failed or refused to comply with the terms of the subpoena.

C. When the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general issuing the subpoena has reason to believe that a person may attempt to conceal or destroy materials essential to an investigation, examination, audit, inspection, or performance review, the local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general may apply by verified petition to the district court of the parish in which the person resides or is found or has a principal place of business or in which the materials may be found for an order protecting the materials from concealment or destruction. The court may order and fix the amount of a bond to be posted and conditioned upon compliance with the terms of the subpoena. The order shall be directed to the person upon whom the subpoena will be served and to any other person necessary to protect the materials from concealment or destruction.

D.(1) A local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general shall have the authority to examine, review, audit, inspect, and investigate the records, books, reports, documents, papers, correspondence, accounts, audits, inspections, reviews, recommendations, plans, films, tapes, pictures, computer hard drives, software data, hardware data, e-mails, instant messages, text messages, and any other data and material relevant to any matter under audit, investigation, inspection, or performance review of all entities of the local governmental subdivision or entities receiving funds through or for the benefit of the local governmental subdivision.

(2) For the purposes of this Section, these entities shall include but not be limited to every local governmental subdivision officer, employee, elected official, department, agency, board, commission, public benefit corporation, quasi public agency or body, contractor, subcontractor, licensee of the local governmental subdivision, and every applicant for certification of eligibility for a municipal contract or program.

(3) These entities shall also include all local governmental subdivision governing authorities, all districts, boards, and commissions created by local governmental subdivision governing authorities either independently or in conjunction with other units of government, and all independently elected parish public officials whose offices receive funds from the municipality.

E. For the purposes of this Section, a quasi public agency or body shall be defined as:

(1) An organization, either not-for-profit or for profit, that is a component unit of local government established to perform a public purpose, and created by the state of Louisiana or any political subdivision or agency thereof or any special district or authority operating within the municipality.

(2) An organization, either not-for-profit or for profit, that is a component unit of a local governmental subdivision reporting entity, as defined under generally accepted accounting principles.

(3) An organization, either not-for-profit or for profit, created to perform a public purpose and having one or more of the following characteristics:

(a) The governing body is elected by the general public.

(b) A majority of the governing body is appointed by or authorized to be appointed by a governmental entity or individual governmental official as a part of their official duties.

(c) The entity is the recipient of proceeds of an ad valorem tax or general sales tax levied specifically for its operations.

(d) The entity is able to directly issue debt, the interest on which is exempt from federal taxation.

(e) The entity can be dissolved unilaterally by a governmental entity and its net assets assumed without compensation by that governmental entity.

(4) Any not-for-profit organization operating within the municipality which receives or expends in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars in local assistance in any fiscal year. Assistance includes grants, loans, awards, transfer of property, and direct appropriations of local public funds.

(5) Any organization, either not-for-profit or for profit, operating within the local governmental subdivision which is subject to the Open Meetings Law and derives a portion of its income from payments received from any local governmental subdivision agency or body.

F. Nothing in R.S. 42:61 et seq. shall be construed to prohibit local ethics entity attorneys, ethics review board attorneys, or office of inspector general attorneys from also holding the position of assistant United States attorney, assistant attorney general, or assistant district attorney when so designated for cooperative efforts in criminal prosecutions and without additional compensation.

G. A local ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general may employ its own legal counsel. A local ethics entity or ethics review board may also employ, contract with, or accept the assistance of other legal counsel in the conduct of a civil or criminal case.

Acts 2008, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 18, §1, eff. April 26, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 98, §1, eff. June 1, 2010; Acts 2012, No. 838, §1, eff. June 14, 2012.