Louisiana Revised Statutes 24:31.6 – Legislative district offices; furnishing and equipment allowance
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 24:31.6
- Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
A. Each member of the legislature shall be entitled to an allowance for the purpose of purchasing office furniture and equipment to be utilized in the conduct of his office. Each legislator shall be entitled to a maximum allowance of two thousand dollars while serving his first term in the legislature, this allowance not to be renewable upon election for a subsequent term of office. However, the presiding officer may authorize the expenditure of monies in excess of a member’s allowance for the purchase of a standard suite of office furniture, as that standard is defined by resolution of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council, as well as for replacing or making major repairs to any piece of equipment or furniture purchased under the provision of this Section.
B. Each legislator who has served one or more terms in the legislature, upon taking office for each subsequent and consecutive term, shall receive an additional allowance of five hundred dollars in the aggregate for the purpose of purchasing any additional equipment or furniture to be utilized in the conduct of his office.
C. Title to all furniture and equipment purchased under provisions of this Section shall vest in the purchasing house of the legislature, and the same shall be purchased by the presiding officers in accordance with purchasing policies of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council upon presentation of itemized statements from members of the legislature setting forth in detail the furniture and equipment desired to be purchased.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part XI of Chapter 1 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, upon termination of office, each legislator having possession of equipment or furniture purchased with the dollar allotments provided in this Section or with the legislator’s individual supplemental expense account provided by his house, or having possession of the standard computer equipment allocated to the legislator for use outside of the capitol building, may purchase such property with nonpublic funds at a cost of the standard depreciated value of the property. This authority to purchase furniture shall not encompass the standard suite of furniture purchased with additional monies approved by the presiding officer of either house. The legislator shall relinquish any such furniture or equipment which he does not purchase to the presiding officer or agents of his house.
E. Whenever a legislator returns any property or equipment purchased under the provisions of Subsection A or B of this Section, he shall receive credit to his furnishing allowance for such property at a value to be determined by the presiding officer of his house.
Added by Acts 1975, No. 44, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1975. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 554, §1; Acts 1984, No. 330, §1; Acts 1992, No. 520, §1, eff. June 26, 1992; Acts 2007, No. 216, §1.