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ACT No. 181
Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE BILL NO. 561
BY REPRESENTATIVES TIM BURNS, ADAMS, BADON, BERTHELOT, WESLEY
BISHOP, BROADWATER, BROSSETT, BURFORD, CARTER, CROMER,
GAROFALO, GISCLAIR, HENRY, HODGES, LEGER, LEOPOLD, LORUSSO,
MACK, MILLER, MORENO, PEARSON, RITCHIE, SCHRODER, SIMON, ST.
GERMAIN, TALBOT, THOMPSON, AND WILLMOTT AND SENATOR
NEVERS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 13:5725 and to repeal R.S. 13:5724, relative to the coroner of St. Tammany2
Parish; to require the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish to collect certain3
tax revenues levied for purposes of the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office; to4
require all collected revenues to be deposited into a special account for designated5
use; to require the governing authority to establish an annual salary for the St.6
Tammany Parish coroner; to require the governing authority to establish the salaries7
of employees of the coroner's office; to provide for certain responsibilities of the8
governing authority relative to the use of the tax proceeds; to provide for an effective9
date; and to provide for related matters.10
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:11
Section 1. R.S. 13:5725 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 12
ยง5725. St. Tammany Parish; coroner; powers and duties; compensation of coroner13
and employees14
A. The governing authority of St. Tammany Parish shall receive all tax15
revenues collected from the ad valorem tax levied by St. Tammany Parish for16
coroner purposes and approved by a majority of the electors of the parish at an17
election held for that purpose on November 2, 2004, including any extensions or18
renewals thereof. The St. Tammany Parish coroner's office shall transfer any and all19
funds on hand received from the ad valorem tax to the governing authority of St.20
Tammany Parish, less and except amounts needed for operation for the remainder21 ENROLLEDHB NO. 561
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of calendar year 2013, with the amount being determined by the St. Tammany Parish1
Department of Finance. Any contracts or purchase agreements entered into by the2
St. Tammany Parish coroner's office shall require approval or ratification by the3
governing authority of St. Tammany Parish.4
B. The revenues collected by the governing authority pursuant to Subsection5
A of this Section shall be deposited into a special account and expended solely for6
the purposes set forth in the ad valorem tax proposition approved by the voters on7
November 2, 2004, less and except St. Tammany Parish's administrative fees, costs8
associated with administration of the ad valorem tax levied, St Tammany Parish's9
costs associated with oversight of the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office, and10
amounts necessary to service bonds or other debt obligations secured by the ad11
valorem tax. St. Tammany Parish shall be deemed to have fully and completely met12
its obligations to fund the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office as set forth in R.S.13
13:5706 and 5710. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, St.14
Tammany Parish shall not be obligated to pay any other fee or cost and all15
obligations to the coroner are limited as provided for in this Subsection.16
C.(1) All salaries or fees associated with the operation of the coroner's office17
shall be funded and paid from revenues collected pursuant to Subsection A of this18
Section.19
(2) An annual salary shall be established by the governing authority of the20
parish of St. Tammany to be paid to the coroner in lieu of all fees for his services as21
parish coroner, ex officio parish physician, or health officer.22
(3) The governing authority shall also establish an annual salary for the23
deputy or assistant coroners, secretaries, stenographers, clerks, technicians,24
investigators, official photographers, or other employees.25
D. The coroner of St. Tammany Parish shall not own or acquire immovable26
property. Any and all immovable property, including buildings, component parts27
and other appurtenances, previously owned by St. Tammany Parish and transferred28
to the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office shall be transferred to the governing29 ENROLLEDHB NO. 561
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authority of St. Tammany Parish free and clear of all mortgages, liens, or other1
encumbrances within six months of the effective date of this Section.2
E. Within six months of the effective date of this Section, the governing3
authority of St. Tammany Parish and the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office shall4
enter into a restated cooperative endeavor agreement, including but not limited to the5
following provisions:6
(1) Requiring use of all tax revenues in strict conformity with the tax7
proposition approved by the voters.8
(2) Requiring compliance with public bid and procurement laws.9
(3) Annual forensic audits as required at the sole discretion of the governing10
authority of St. Tammany Parish, in addition to any other audits required by law, for11
review by the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish.12
Section 2. R.S.13:5724 is hereby repealed in its entirety.13
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not14
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature15
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If16
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become17
effective on the day following such approval.18
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: