HLS 25RS-360 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 664
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCFARLAND
LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES: Makes appropriations for the expenses of the legislature for
Fiscal Year 2025-2026
1 AN ACT
2To appropriate funds for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 to defray the expenses of the Louisiana
3 Legislature, including the expenses of the House of Representatives and the Senate,
4 of legislative service agencies, and of the Louisiana State Law Institute; to provide
5 for the salary, expenses, and allowances of members, officers, staff, and agencies of
6 the Legislature; to provide with respect to the appropriations and allocations herein
7 made; and to provide for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. The sum of Ninety-Three Million Three Hundred Seventy-One Thousand
10Three Hundred Twelve and No/100 ($93,371,312.00) Dollars, or so much thereof as may be
11necessary, is hereby appropriated out of the state general fund and the sum of Twenty-Four
12Million Seven Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Five and No/100
13($24,785,375.00) Dollars is hereby appropriated out of self-generated funds to defray the
14expenses of the legislature, including the House of Representatives and the Senate, the staffs
15of the House of Representatives and of the Senate, the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative
16Fiscal Office, the Legislative Budgetary Control Council, and the Louisiana State Law
17Institute.
18 Section 2.(A)(1) Out of the total amount herein appropriated from the state general
19fund, Sixty-One Million One Hundred Fifteen Thousand Eight Hundred Eleven and No/100
20($61,115,811.00) Dollars is hereby allocated to provide the salary and allowances of
21members, officers, and staff of the House of Representatives, and the salary and allowances
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HB NO. 664
1for the speaker of the House of Representatives and for expenses of his office, including
2reimbursement for actual expenses as presiding officer and for his service to or for the
3benefit of the House of Representatives, the legislature, the legislative branch of
4government, or the state, as determined by the speaker, and to provide the salary and
5allowances of members, officers, and staff of the Senate, and the salary and allowances for
6the president of the Senate and for expenses of his office, including reimbursement for actual
7expenses as presiding officer and for his service to or for the benefit of the Senate, the
8legislature, the legislative branch of government, or the state, as determined by the president
9of the Senate. These funds shall also be used to pay mileage and per diem of the members
10of the legislature and mileage and per diem expenses of committees; salaries and/or expense
11allowances of officers and employees of the legislature; costs of renovations, maintenance,
12repairs, and necessary additions to the House and/or Senate chambers and other legislative
13rooms; audio-visual systems, information networks, technological enhancements, and
14technical support; printing the bills, journals, and calendars; computer equipment and
15services; library services; provision of accessibility services for persons with disabilities
16during sessions of the legislature and during the interim; and for all other expenses of the
17legislature. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any and all monies
18paid to an employee of the legislature shall be used to determine full-time status and for the
19eligibility and calculation of all benefits, including but not limited to, retirement and
20insurance. This provision shall be remedial in nature and shall not eliminate or reduce any
21current benefits of a legislative employee. In addition to the amounts and limitations
22provided in R.S. 24:31.5, these funds shall also be used to provide an additional two hundred
23seventy-five dollars per month to the total amount available to each legislator for the salary
24of his legislative assistants which shall be obtained and disbursed as hereinafter provided.
25 (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 24:31.5, any legislative assistant
26employed on or before December 1, 2007, may retain the salary they were earning on
27December 1, 2007.
28 (B) Of the sum above allocated to the two houses of the legislature, Thirty-Two
29Million Nine Hundred Ninety-Eight Thousand Three Hundred and No/100 ($32,998,300.00)
30Dollars is hereby set aside and allocated for the use of the House of Representatives and
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HB NO. 664
1Twenty-Eight Million One Hundred Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred Eleven and No/100
2($28,117,511.00) Dollars for the use of the Senate.
3 (C) The presiding officer of each house shall warrant on the state treasurer in favor
4of the House of Representatives or the Senate, as the case may be, for the allocation herein
5provided, or for so much thereof as may be necessary. The aforesaid warrants shall be paid
6out of the state general fund, and the state treasurer shall pay said warrants by preference
7over all other warrants, except warrants for the salaries of constitutional officers of the state,
8which shall be concurrent with the warrants provided for by this Act.
9 (D)(1) The funds drawn as provided herein shall be deposited in the name of the
10House of Representatives or the Senate, as the case may be, in an approved bank located in
11this state selected by the presiding officer of each house. Payment of per diem and mileage,
12salaries of the members, officers, and employees, and other expenses of the legislature shall
13be made by individual check, payable to the person or firm entitled thereto, signed by the
14presiding officer of the House of Representatives as to disbursements by the House, and as
15to disbursements by the Senate, signed by the president of the Senate. Facsimile or
16electronic signatures may be used; such payment also may be made by electronic funds
17transfer through the automated clearing house and deposited into the account of the person
18or firm entitled to such payment.
19 (2) Copies of legislative documents of the Senate and the House shall be provided
20at fees according to policy and schedules adopted by the secretary of the Senate and clerk
21of the House, jointly, and approved by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the
22House, jointly. Funds derived from the sale of legislative documents of the Senate and the
23House during legislative sessions shall be used to offset the cost of printing the journals and
24calendars.
25 (3) The legislature is hereby expressly authorized to receive and expend any monies
26received as a result of any grants or donations or other forms of assistance as provided for
27in Article VII, Section 9(A)(1) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974.
28 (E) Any portion of the funds herein allocated to the two houses, any portion of the
29funds previously appropriated or interest earnings on such appropriations and any self-
30generated revenues that are not required for the expenses of the 2025 Regular Session of the
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HB NO. 664
1Legislature, including printing and all expenses in connection therewith, are hereby
2appropriated and may be used to pay the mileage, per diem, expenses of committees, and any
3other expenses of the legislature during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year; however, all funds
4remaining unexpended and/or unencumbered shall be returnable to the state general fund on
5or before October 1, 2026.
6 Section 3.(A) The sum of Fifteen Million Two Hundred Ninety-Five Thousand and
7No/100 ($15,295,000.00) Dollars is hereby allocated out of the total appropriation from the
8state general fund made in Section 1 of this Act to the legislative auditor, to pay the expenses
9of his office, including the salaries and expenses of his employees, the costs of equipment,
10and all other expenses incurred by that office in connection with the operation thereof during
11the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
12 (B)(1) The sum of Three Hundred Fifty Thousand and No/100 ($350,000.00) Dollars
13is hereby appropriated, payable from the state general fund, to establish an agency working
14capital fund to be known as the Legislative Auditor Ancillary Enterprise Fund. Of the funds
15available in the ancillary enterprise fund, the sum of Twenty-Four Million Seven Hundred
16Eighty-Five Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Five and No/100 ($24,785,375.00) Dollars
17is authorized to be used by the legislative auditor, in addition to the amount allocated in
18Section 3(A) hereof, to pay the expenses of his office, including the salaries and expenses
19of his employees, the costs of equipment, and all other expenses incurred by that office in
20connection with the operations thereof during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
21 (2) The legislative auditor, in addition to the authority contained in R.S. 24:517.1,
22shall be authorized to receive reimbursement of actual expenses of audits performed on
23federally funded programs, both direct and indirect, and regulatory boards funded primarily
24from fees and self-generated revenues and self-supported enterprise functions for the
25purpose of generating revenue to pay expenses as provided in Section 3(B)(1) of this Act.
26Reimbursement for audits performed on federally funded programs shall be limited to
27reimbursement authorized by federal laws and regulations.
28 (3) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, including the General
29Appropriation Act, in addition to the authority contained in R.S. 24:517.1 and 517.3, the
30legislative auditor is authorized to allocate and collect from each auditee included in the
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HB NO. 664
1annual comprehensive financial report required pursuant to R.S. 39:80, exclusive of those
2auditees audited by independent certified public accountants, such amounts as may be
3reasonably necessary to compensate the legislative auditor for services rendered and costs
4incurred in connection with the audit of each auditee. In the collection of such amounts, the
5legislative auditor shall, on or after the first day of July of each year, notify and warrant,
6without any other approval, the state treasurer of the amount allocated to each auditee. The
7state treasurer, upon receipt of said notice and warrant, shall transfer forthwith the amounts
8allocated to each auditee from monies accruing or available to the auditee to the Legislative
9Auditor Ancillary Enterprise Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the sum of all amounts
10allocated to all such auditees shall not exceed the amount appropriated to the legislative
11auditor from the Legislative Auditor Ancillary Enterprise Fund in accordance with Section
123(B)(1) herein.
13 (C) In the conduct of such functions all receipts of self-generated revenues shall be
14deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the Legislative Auditor Ancillary Enterprise
15Fund and disbursements made by the state treasurer to the extent of the amounts deposited
16to the credit of such fund in accordance with provisions of law governing expenditures. All
17monies from self-generated revenue of the legislative auditor's office shall be paid to the
18Legislative Auditor Ancillary Enterprise Fund and shall be deemed to be available for
19expenditure in the amount herein appropriated, and any increase in self-generated revenue
20over the amount herein appropriated shall be available for expenditure by the legislative
21auditor only on approval by the co-chairmen of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council.
22 (D) The legislative auditor shall warrant on the state treasurer for the monies
23allocated by this Section, and the warrant shall be paid by the state treasurer out of the state
24general fund. The funds so drawn shall be disbursed only in accordance with budgeted
25amounts provided herein and such amendments as may be approved by the Legislative
26Budgetary Control Council.
27 (E) In addition to any portion of the funds herein allocated in this Section to the
28legislative auditor, any portion of the funds previously appropriated to the legislative auditor,
29and all other revenue and funds of the legislative auditor, or interest earnings, are hereby
30appropriated and may be used to defray the expenses of the legislative auditor. These funds
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HB NO. 664
1shall be subject to warrant by the legislative auditor on the state treasurer, in an amount not
2to exceed the total balance remaining at the end of the previous fiscal year; however, all
3funds remaining unexpended and/or unencumbered shall be returnable to the state general
4fund on or before October 1, 2026.
5 Section 4.(A) The sum of Three Million Seven Hundred Ninety-One Thousand Six
6Hundred and No/100 ($3,791,600.00) Dollars is hereby allocated out of the total
7appropriation from the state general fund made in Section 1 of this Act to the Joint
8Legislative Committee on the Budget, to be used solely for the operations of the Legislative
9Fiscal Office and in particular to pay the expenses thereof, including the salaries and
10expenses of its employees, the cost of equipment, and all other expenses incurred by said
11office in connection with the operation thereof during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. The
12operations and functions of the Legislative Fiscal Office shall be under the direction and
13supervision of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. Any contracts for consultant
14services shall be approved by the Legislative Budgetary Control Council and the Joint
15Legislative Committee on the Budget.
16 (B) The legislative fiscal officer shall warrant on the state treasurer for the allocation
17provided by this Section, and the warrant shall be paid by the state treasurer out of the state
18general fund. The funds so drawn shall be disbursed only in accordance with a budget
19approved by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and the Legislative Budgetary
20Control Council.
21 (C) Any portion of the funds herein allocated to the Legislative Fiscal Office, any
22portion of the funds previously appropriated or interest earnings on such appropriations and
23any self-generated revenues that are not required for the expenses of the 2025 Regular
24Session of the Legislature, including printing and all expenses in connection therewith, are
25hereby appropriated and may be used to pay expenses of the Legislative Fiscal Office during
26the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year; however, all funds remaining unexpended and/or unencumbered
27shall be returnable to the state general fund on or before October 1, 2026.
28 Section 5.(A) The sum of One Million One Hundred Ninety-Eight Thousand Nine
29Hundred One and No/100 ($1,198,901.00) Dollars is hereby allocated out of the total
30appropriation from the state general fund made in Section 1 of this Act to the Louisiana State
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HB NO. 664
1Law Institute, to pay the expenses thereof, including the salaries and expenses of its
2employees, the cost of equipment, and all other expenses incurred by said office in
3connection with the operation thereof during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
4 (B) The executive director of the Louisiana State Law Institute shall warrant on the
5state treasurer for the allocation provided by this Section, and the warrant shall be paid by
6the state treasurer out of the state general fund. The funds so drawn shall be disbursed only
7in accordance with a budget approved by the Legislative Budgetary Control Council and
8subject to the budgetary control of said council.
9 (C) Any portion of the funds herein allocated to the Louisiana State Law Institute,
10any portion of the funds previously appropriated or interest earnings on such appropriations
11and any self-generated revenues may be used to pay expenses of the Louisiana State Law
12Institute during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year; however, all funds remaining unexpended and/or
13unencumbered shall be returnable to the state general fund on or before October 1, 2026.
14 Section 6.(A) The sum of Eleven Million Nine Hundred Seventy Thousand and
15No/100 ($11,970,000.00) Dollars is hereby allocated out of the total appropriation from the
16state general fund made in Section 1 of this Act and the balance on July 2, 2025, of the fund
17created pursuant to Section 13 of Act 513 of the 2008 Regular Session is hereby
18appropriated to the Legislative Budgetary Control Council, all of which may be used to pay
19the expenses thereof, including salaries and expenses of certain legislative employees,
20expenses of the Huey P. Long Memorial Law Library, the David R. Poynter Legislative
21Research Library, contracts for professional services, mileage and per diem expenses of the
22interim activities of joint legislative committees created by statute or by the presiding
23officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives to which no specific allocation of
24funds is made in this Act, as approved by the council or, jointly, by the co-chairmen of the
25council, the cost of construction, maintenance, repair, improvements, renovations, and access
26to the capitol building, capitol annex building, building for legislative use, pentagon courts,
27and arsenal building, and adjacent grounds, and purchase, maintenance, and repair of
28furniture and equipment, audio-visual systems, security systems, information networks,
29technological enhancements, technical support, and computer equipment and services, as
30jointly approved by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
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HB NO. 664
1Representatives, the cost of equipment, dues to legislative associations, to pay costs to
2maintain actuarial integrity of the state retirement system affected by the inclusion of certain
3legislative employees, and all other expenses incurred by said council in connection with the
4operation thereof during the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
5 (B) The co-chairmen of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council shall jointly
6warrant on the state treasurer for the monies appropriated and allocated by this Section, and
7the state treasurer shall pay their warrants by preference over all other warrants, except
8warrants for the salaries of constitutional officers of the state, which shall be concurrent with
9warrants provided for by this Act.
10 (C) The funds drawn as provided herein shall be deposited in the name of the
11Legislative Budgetary Control Council in an approved bank located in this state selected by
12the presiding co-chairmen of the council. Payment of per diem and mileage, salaries of the
13officers and employees, and other expenses of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council
14shall be made by individual check, payable to the person or firm entitled thereto, signed by
15the presiding co-chairmen of the council. Facsimile or electronic signatures may be used;
16such payment also may be made by electronic funds transfer through the automated clearing
17house and deposited into the account of the person or firm entitled to such payment.
18 (D) Any portion of the funds herein allocated to the Legislative Budgetary Control
19Council, any portion of the funds previously appropriated, or interest earnings on any such
20appropriations, and self-generated revenues are hereby appropriated and may be used to pay
21any expenses of the Legislative Budgetary Control Council during the 2025-2026 Fiscal
22Year; however, all funds remaining unexpended and/or unencumbered shall be returnable
23to the state general fund on or before October 1, 2026.
24 Section 7. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 24:31(B) to the contrary, the
25compensation of members of the legislature shall be equal to the rate allowable for per diem
26deduction under 26 U.S.C. 162 (h)(1)(B)(ii) for the location of the state capitol during their
27attendance on that body.
28 Section 8. In accordance with R.S. 39:51(D), a comparative statement of the existing
29operating budget for FY 2024-2025 and the appropriation for FY 2025-2026 from the state
30general fund is as follows:
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HB NO. 664
1Entity FY 2024-2025 FY 2025-2026
2 (Act No. 733 of 24 RS)
3House of Representatives$32,998,300 $32,998,300
4Senate $28,117,511 $28,117,511
5Legislative Auditor $15,295,000 $15,295,000
6Legislative Fiscal Office$3,441,600 $ 3,791,600
7La. State Law Institute $1,198,901 $ 1,198,901
8Legislative Budgetary
9 Control Council $11,970,000 $11,970,000
10 Total state general fund $93,021,312 $93,371,312
The Legislative Auditor for FY 2024-2025 11 was appropriated self-generated funds in
12the amount of $24,709,985 and for FY 2025-2026 is appropriated self-generated funds in the
13amount of $24,785,375. The Legislative Budgetary Control Council for FY 2024-2025 was
14appropriated the balance of the technology fund on July 2, 2024, and for FY 2025-2026 is
15appropriated the balance on July 2, 2025 of said fund.
16 Section 9. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025; if vetoed by the governor
17and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on July 1,
182025, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.
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 664 Original 2025 Regular Session McFarland
Provides for the expenses of the legislature and legislative service agencies. Appropriates
$93,371,312 from the state general fund for FY 2025-2026 including the following:
House of Representatives $32,998,300
Senate $28,117,511
Legislative Auditor $15,295,000
Legislative Fiscal Office $ 3,791,600
Louisiana State Law Institute $ 1,198,901
Legislative Budgetary Control Council $11,970,000
Total state general fund $93,371,312
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HB NO. 664
Further, provides for the allocation of funds for salaries and allowances of members,
officers, and staff of the House and Senate. Provides that the balance on July 2, 2025, of the
fund created by Section 13 of Act 513 of the 2008 R.S. is appropriated to the Legislative
Budgetary Control Council.
Appropriates $350,000 from the state general fund to establish the Legislative Auditor
Ancillary Enterprise Fund as an agency working capital fund; appropriates $24,785,375
from the fund, which is authorized to be used for expenses of the auditor's office.
Further provides for the rate allowable for per diem deduction for members of the legislature
during their attendance at the state capitol and retains provisions of present law allowing
legislative assistants who were employed on or before Dec. 1, 2007, to retain the salary they
were earning on Dec. 1, 2007.
Effective July 1, 2025.
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