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)]
Price HB No. 594
Abstract: Provides relative to the purposes for which monies from the Louisiana Quality
Education Support Fund, 8(g), may be used by the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education.
Present constitution provides for the creation of the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund
(the Support Fund) in the state treasury. Further provides that the amounts in the Support Fund
shall be available for appropriation to pay expenses incurred in the investment and management
of the Permanent Trust Fund and for educational purposes only as provided in present
constitution.
Present constitution provides that the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
(BESE) and the Board of Regents shall annually submit to the legislature and the governor a
proposed program and budget for the expenditure of the monies in the Support Fund. Further
provides that, except for appropriations to pay expenses incurred in the investment and
management of the Permanent Trust Fund, the legislature shall appropriate from the Support
Fund only for the educational purposes provided in present constitution and shall appropriate
50% of the available funds for higher educational purposes and 50% for elementary and
secondary educational purposes.
Present constitution provides that the treasurer shall disburse not more than 50% of the monies
in the Support Fund as that money is appropriated by the legislature and allocated by BESE for
any or all of the following elementary and secondary educational purposes:
(1)To provide compensation to city or parish school board professional instructional
employees.
(2)To insure an adequate supply of superior textbooks, library books, equipment, and other
instructional materials.
(3)To fund exemplary programs in elementary and secondary schools designed to improve
elementary or secondary student academic achievement or vocational-technical skill.
(4)To fund school carefully defined research efforts, including pilot programs, designed to
improve elementary and secondary student academic achievement.
(5)To fund school remediation programs and preschool programs. (6)To fund the teaching of foreign languages in elementary and secondary schools.
(7)To fund an adequate supply of teachers by providing scholarships or stipends to
prospective teachers in academic or vocational-technical areas where there is a critical
teacher shortage.
Proposed constitutional amendment removes all such purposes for use of such funds except
insuring an adequate supply of superior textbooks, library books, equipment, and other
instructional materials and funding preschool programs.
Proposed constitutional amendment adds as a purpose ensuring the supply of technology
services.
Provides for submission of the proposed amendment to the voters at the statewide election to be
held Nov. 4, 2014.
(Amends Const. Art. VII, ยง10.1(D)(2))