Opinion ID: 1954259
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: history of la.r.s. 16:6

Text: An analysis of the history of 16:6 reveals how the legislature intended to carry out its goal of providing the district attorneys with a mandatory expense allowance. When 16:6 was first enacted in 1938, it created a mandatory expense allowance for operating the district attorney's office to be funded by the state up to $1,200.00. 1938 La.Acts No. 20, §§ 1, 2. Ten years later, 16:6 was amended to increase the mandatory expense allowance to $2,500.00. 1948 La.Acts No. 488, § 2. In 1959, the legislature amended 16:6 to increase the expense allowance payable by the state to $5,000.00, and added the following language: [I]n addition thereto, the police juries of the various parishes of the State of Louisiana are hereby authorized to supplement and pay from their general fund any of the items of expense, as provided for herein, incurred by the several district attorneys of this state when acting in their official capacities and where the total items of expense in the operation of the district attorney's office exceed the amount of five thousand dollars per year. 1959 La.Acts No. 113, § 17. Finally, in 1973, 16:6 was amended and remains unchanged. Significantly, the amendment abrogated any fiscal responsibility for 16:6 expenses on the part of the state legislature. It deleted the word supplement as well as the requirement the expenses reach $5,000.00 before the police jury was authorized to pay the expenses. 1973 La. Acts No. 115, § 1. We see that throughout the history of 16:6 the legislature envisioned the legislative branch of either state or local government would bear the primary responsibility for funding the expenses. Prior to 1959, the state legislature bore the entire responsibility for funding the 16:6 expenses. In 1959, the state legislature provided a set amount of funding to cover 16:6 expenses, and the police jury, the local legislative branch of government, was called upon to supplement and pay the expenses in excess of the statutory limit. In 1973, the state abandoned its role in funding the 16:6 expenses. We believe when the state legislature abandoned its fiscal responsibility, it intended to place the entire burden for funding the 16:6 expenses on the police jury.