DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Champagne HB No. 490
Abstract: Provides for the content of reports concerning compensation of certain officials and
employees and requires publication of such reports on the parish website if there is one.
Present law (R.S. 42:283) requires all parish sheriffs, clerks of court, assessors, coroners,
registrars of voters, boards of health, boards of equalization, and all district levee boards, boards
of commissioners of drainage districts for the state, parish of Orleans excepted, to furnish
annually to the governing authority and clerk of court of their respective parishes, a written
itemized report showing the expenditures made by their respective offices, boards, or
commissions, whether made out of the salary or expense funds of said offices or members of
their respective commissions or boards, or otherwise.
Present law (R.S. 42:284) provides that the reports provided for in present law (R.S. 42:283)
shall be classified under the following headings: (1) salaries of officials, (2) salaries of deputies,
(3) salaries of other employees, (4) office supplies and furnishings, and (5) other expenditures.
Provides that reports required of the sheriffs at the various parishes shall also include specific
itemization of (1) transporting prisoners, fugitives, and insane persons and (2) feeding prisoners.
Present law (R.S. 42:285) provides that the first report of each year, made under the provisions of
present law shall include the names of all deputies, employees and officers of the respective
offices, boards and commissions, for the preceding year, whether they were employed full time
or only temporarily, and shall also show the total salary or compensation paid to each of them
during that year. Proposed law retains present law and adds elected officials to the list of
officials and employees about which information must be included in the first report. Provides
further that travel expenses shall be included in the report.
Present law (R.S. 42:287) provides that any parish governing authority may, in its own
discretion, publish any of the reports which it receives as a result of present law. Proposed law
retains present law and provides that if the parish governing authority has a website, it shall
publish each report it receives pursuant to proposed law on its website within 10 days of
receiving the report.
Present law provides that whoever violates any provision of present law shall be fined $1,000 or
imprisoned for six months or both. Proposed law retains present law penalties and makes them
applicable to proposed law.
(Amends R.S. 42:285 and 287)