HLS 15RS-1174 ENGROSSED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 299
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHANEY
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
COURTS: Provides with respect to surplus monies in the witness fee fund of the 6
th
Judicial
District Court
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 15:255(R), relative to witness fees for off-duty law enforcement officers; to
3 authorize the transfer of certain witness fee surplus funds within the Sixth Judicial
4 District; to provide for the transfer procedures and use of such funds; to provide for
5 definitions; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 15:255(R) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 ยง255. Witness fees to off-duty law enforcement officers
9 * * *
10 R. In the Sixth Judicial District, all surplus monies in the special fund in each
11 of the parishes in that district that exceed two thousand dollars at the end of each
12 calendar year shall be transmitted by the governing authorities of those parishes to
13 the criminal court fund of the Sixth Judicial District Court no later than January
14 thirty-first of each calendar year. As used in this Subsection, "special fund" means
15 the special fund provided for in Subsection D of this Section, and "surplus monies"
16 means the amount of money which is in each special fund at the end of each calendar
17 year and which is in excess of the total amount paid from each special fund as
18 witness fees for off-duty law enforcement officers in that calendar year. The surplus
19 monies which are required to be transferred by this Subsection may be used for any
20 purpose for which the other monies in the criminal court fund of the Sixth Judicial
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 15RS-1174 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 299
1 District Court may be used. No money obligated to be paid to any officer or agency
2 for an off-duty law enforcement court appearance shall be considered surplus money
3 pursuant to this Subsection.
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)]
HB 299 Engrossed 2015 Regular Session Chaney
Abstract: Authorizes the transfer of surplus witness fees for off-duty law enforcement
officers from each parish governing authority in the Sixth Judicial District to the
criminal court fund in the Sixth Judicial District Court.
Present law requires that witness fees be paid from court costs collected in individual cases
tried in district or parish courts or in any court with juvenile jurisdiction or cases in which
there is a plea of guilty or conviction. All of such costs shall be placed in a special fund that
shall be maintained and be administered by the governing authority.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires all parish governing authorities within the 6
th
Judicial District to
transfer all surplus monies in the special fund that exceed $2,000 at the end of each calendar
year to the criminal court fund of the 6
th
JDC by Jan. 31
st
of each calendar year to be used
for the same purposes that the present funds are being used.
Proposed law defines "special fund" as the special fund provided for in present law, and
"surplus monies" as the amount of money which is in each special fund at the end of each
calendar year and which is in excess of the total amount paid from each special fund as
witness fees for off-duty law enforcement officers in that calendar year.
Proposed law prohibits any money obligated to be paid to any officer or agency for an off-
duty law enforcement court appearance from being considered surplus money.
(Adds R.S. 15:255(R))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.