§421.7. Support Education in Louisiana First Fund

A. There is hereby established, as a special fund in the state treasury, the Support Education in Louisiana First Fund (the SELF Fund). After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and after a sufficient amount is allocated from that fund to pay all of the obligations secured by the full faith and credit of the state which becomes due and payable within any fiscal year, the treasurer shall pay to the SELF Fund an amount equal to the monies received by the state treasury from the avails of the franchise fees charged pursuant to R.S. 27:91(C)(2) through (4) and the revenues required to be deposited in the SELF Fund pursuant to R.S. 27:92(B)(2)(b) and R.S. 27:270(A)(3). The monies in this fund shall be used only as provided in Subsection B of this Section and only in the amounts appropriated by the legislature. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in this fund at the end of each fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall retain their allocation for use and expenditure in accordance with the provisions of Subsection B of this Section. The monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund. Interest earned on the investment of monies in this fund shall be credited to the fund, following compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

B. Monies in the SELF Fund shall be used and expended solely as follows:

(1) Seventy percent of the monies in the fund shall be used to provide an increase in the salary of certain public pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade certificated personnel as defined in the annual Profile of Education Personnel report and for other public pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade classroom teachers in Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and annually to support such increase.

(2) Thirty percent of the monies in the fund shall be used to provide public postsecondary education faculty salary increases, including related benefits, to be distributed in accordance with a plan developed jointly by the Board of Regents and the Division of Administration in Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and annually to support such increase.

C.(1) In Fiscal Year 2001-2002, if any monies in the fund are not available for appropriation for the uses set forth in Subsection B for whatever reason, including but not limited to being designated nonrecurring revenue as defined in R.S. 39:2(27), the governor shall provide for the allocation of monies from other sources or funds or direct the commissioner of administration to reduce appropriations for the executive branch of government, except for appropriations to elementary and secondary education with the consent of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and for appropriations to postsecondary education, such that the monies provided through the governor's actions in total shall equal the amount appropriated from the SELF Fund for such uses which is not available. The reallocation of monies by the governor or the reduction of appropriations provided in this Subsection shall be used for the purposes set forth in Subsection B, subject to the approval of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

(2) In no event shall an appropriation made pursuant to this Section be subject to any budget reduction by the governor.

Acts 2001, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, §1, eff. March 21, 2001; Acts 2001, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 3, §1, eff. March 27, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 32, §1, eff. July 1, 2004.