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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 103
BY SENATOR DONAHUE AND REPRESENTATIVE S ABRAMSON, BARROW,
WESLEY BISHOP, GUILLORY, JOHNSON, LEGER, LORUSSO,
RITCHIE, ROBIDEAUX, THIBAUT AND PATRICK WILLIAMS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and two members
from Finance appointed by the President, the Chairman of the House Appropriations
Committee and two members from Appropriations appointed by the Speaker, the
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs and two members
from the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs appointed by the
President, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means and two
members from the House Committee on Ways and Means, appointed by the Speaker,
and the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House to meet and to function as
a commission to study Louisiana revenue laws with respect to Louisiana's
exemptions, credits, rebates, and other tax preference expenditures, identify the low-
performing or antiquated tax preference expenditures and recommend their
temporary or permanent reduction or elimination, and report its findings and
recommendations.
WHEREAS, Louisiana's present revenue raising system includes a myriad of tax
preference expenditures such as exclusions, exemptions, suspensions, deductions, credits,
refunds, rebates and preferential tax calculation methods; and
WHEREAS, these many existing tax preference expenditures, combined with the
recent expansion of rebate programs which provide reimbursement for expenditures
unconnected with the existence of any tax liability, have a corresponding large but unknown
impact on the state budget; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has experienced several years of consecutive budget
shortfalls, budget reductions, and mid-year budget cuts; and
WHEREAS, the budgetary crisis continues and the citizens, business interests, and
other members of the community continue to seek equity in Louisiana's laws concerning
revenue measures; and SCR NO. 103 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, a current review of state revenue derived from individuals and
corporations could assist in determining revenue equity and budgetary priorities.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and two members from
Finance appointed by the President, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
and two members from Appropriations appointed by the Speaker, the Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs and two members from the Senate
Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs appointed by the President, and the Chairman of
the House Committee on Ways and Means and two members from the House Committee on
Ways and Means, appointed by the Speaker, and the President of the Senate and Speaker of
the House to meet and function as a commission to do the following:
(1) Determine the generally accepted, most effective economic model or models
which are used to determine the economic impact of a tax preference expenditure.
(2) Use the economic model or models to establish criteria for the identification of
the low-performing or antiquated tax preference expenditures, based on the cost of the tax
preference expenditure compared to (a) the revenue gained by the state; (b) the revenue
gained by local governments; (c) and the overall economic impact of the tax preference
expenditure in terms of the number of jobs created by recipients of the tax preference
expenditure and by the direct economic activity through the economy.
(3) Identify the low-performing or antiquated tax preference expenditures.
(4) Recommend the temporary or permanent reduction or elimination of the
identified low-performing or antiquated tax exemptions, suspensions, exclusions, deductions,
credits, refunds, rebates, and preferential tax calculation methods.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate and House Fiscal Divisions Staffs,
Legislative Fiscal Office, Legislative Auditor, the Department of Economic Development
and the Department of Revenue, shall provide any necessary support to carry out the purpose
of this Senate Concurrent Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this commission convene no later than
September 1, 2012, and report findings and recommendations to the President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House no later than February 1, 2013. SCR NO. 103 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chairman of the Senate Committee on
Finance shall call the first meeting of the commission and at such meeting, the members of
the commission shall select a member of the commission to serve as its chairman and shall
select any other officers deemed necessary by the commission.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES