§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.(1) Any payment under the allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section 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 or in any other property owned wholly or in part by the legislator or a member of his family. Payment under the allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section for cost of utilities and other expenses shall be for reimbursement for cost of electric, water, gas, and telephone service for the legislator's district office and for other office expenses, including but not limited to stationery and other supplies.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a legislator may lease office space for his district office from a lessor from whom he also leases other commercial office space except as otherwise prohibited by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection. In such case, the monthly expense allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section and any allowance for office expenses authorized pursuant to the rules of procedure of the house of the legislator may be used for the payment of rent which represents the fair market value for the amount of space exclusively allocated for his district office and for the payment of the prorated cost of maintaining utilities in the office for the amount of space exclusively allocated for his district office. Transactions relative to the district office and for such payment are expressly authorized and shall be in accordance with the provisions of this Section and the rules of procedure of the house of the legislator.

C. The allowance provided in Subsection A of this Section shall be withdrawn from the treasury and paid to the persons entitled thereto in the same manner as is provided by law for the salary provided in R.S. 24:31.1.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

E. The commissioner of administration shall promulgate and implement a procedure whereby, at no cost to a legislator, surplus space in immovable property owned by the state and located within a parish represented in whole or in part by a legislator may be utilized as the legislator's office. The commissioner of administration shall promulgate such procedure by rule in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and proposed rules relative to such procedure shall be subject to the approval of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. A legislator seeking to utilize such surplus space as his office shall make a written request for such space to the commissioner. Priority for such space shall be given to legislators in the order in which the requests are received.

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, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 16, §1, eff. Nov. 29, 2005; Acts 2008, No. 603, §1, eff. June 30, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 861, §10; Acts 2012, No. 728, §1.

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

NOTE: Acts 2008, No. 603, §2, provides that the Act is to be applied retroactively and prospectively.