SUBPART BB. THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES,

OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL, AND THE OFFICE OF

THE STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER COMPENSATION FUND

§100.231. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Office of State Fire Marshal, and Office of the State Public Defender Compensation Fund

            A. There is hereby created, as a special fund in the state treasury, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Office of State Fire Marshal, and Office of the State Public Defender Compensation Fund, hereafter referred to in this Section as the "fund".

            B.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, after compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and after a sufficient amount is allocated from that fund to pay all of the obligations secured by the full faith and credit of the state which become due and payable within any fiscal year, after the first twenty-two million dollars of the avails of the tax levied pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 47:841(F) is deposited into the Louisiana State Police Salary Fund pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 22:831(B)(2), the treasurer shall deposit the next six million dollars of the avails of the tax levied pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 47:841(F) into the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used solely as provided for in Subsection C of this Section.

            (2) Monies in the fund shall be invested by the treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on investment of the monies shall be credited to the fund. Unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund.

            C. Monies in the fund shall only be withdrawn subject to an appropriation by the legislature and shall be distributed as follows:

            (1) The first distribution to the office of alcohol and tobacco control shall be six hundred thousand dollars. These funds shall be expended exclusively for the purposes of the enforcement of vapor products and electronic cigarettes.

            (2) The remaining funds shall be distributed and shared equally among the following governmental units:

            (a) The funds distributed to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall be used exclusively to cover the cost of salary increases and related benefits for enforcement agents.

            (b) The funds distributed to the office of the state fire marshal shall be used exclusively to cover the cost of salary increases and related benefits for its employees.

            (c) The funds distributed to the office of the state public defender shall be used exclusively to cover the cost of salary increases and related benefits for its employees.

            Acts 2023, No. 414, §3, eff. July 1, 2023; Acts 2024, No. 567, §2, eff. June 10, 2024.