§2507. Distribution of funds

            A.(1) The Louisiana Educational Television Authority, herein referred to as "the authority", shall include in its annual operating budget request to the division of administration, as a separate item, a request for certain funds to be distributed to qualified public television and radio stations not licensed to the authority.

            (2) "Qualified public television and radio stations" shall mean television or radio stations certified by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for participation in the Community Service Grant Program or its replacement program. Additionally, qualified television stations shall serve an area of the state of Louisiana which is not served by the authority, and agree to provide carriage of instructional television upon request of the authority, at such times and upon such terms and conditions specified by the authority, as it is mandated by the appropriate state educational agencies.

            B. The items to be included in the annual operating budget request pursuant to Subsection A for the support of qualified television stations not licensed to the authority shall be calculated as an amount equal to seventeen and one-half percent of the funds to be derived from the state general fund for ongoing operations of the authority, and an additional amount equal to fifteen percent of the request for television stations not licensed to the authority shall be requested for the support of qualified radio stations not licensed to the authority. The base amount used for calculation of the requests for qualified television and radio stations shall not include funds requested by the authority for services beyond the scope of broadcast activities common to television and radio stations not licensed to the authority, nor shall the base amount include funds requested for expenditures on behalf of the recipient television and radio stations not licensed to the authority.

            C. Funds requested by the authority for support of qualified television and radio stations shall constitute the total requests forwarded on behalf of the participating entities.

            D. Upon enactment of the general appropriations bill, the authority shall identify those funds made available for distribution to qualified public television and radio stations not licensed by the authority.

            E. Funds made available for qualified radio stations in state appropriation enacted in the general appropriations bill will be apportioned to qualified radio stations on the basis of their relative participation in the Community Service Grant Program or its replacement program. Participation shall be calculated using the most recent certified data available from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, provided that each qualified radio station shall have requested inclusion in the distribution on or before July 1st of the year in which the pertinent general appropriations bill shall apply.

            F. Funds made available in the general appropriations bill for qualified television stations not licensed by the authority shall be apportioned to qualified television stations not licensed by the authority on the basis of their relative participation in the Community Service Grant Program. Participation shall be calculated using the most recent certified data available from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, provided that each qualified television station shall have requested inclusion in the distribution on or before July 1st of the year in which the pertinent general appropriations bill shall apply.

            G. Certified data for the purposes of distribution shall be a percentage claim upon the Community Service Grant distribution which has been officially adopted by the governing body of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on or before July 1st of the year in which the pertinent general appropriations bill shall apply.

            H. Each qualified public television and radio station not licensed by the authority which receives funds pursuant to this Section shall maintain financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and shall certify its eligibility to meet the foregoing criteria through submission of a statement of eligibility when requesting inclusion in the distribution to the authority.

            I. Each qualified public television and radio station not licensed by the authority which receives funds pursuant to this Section shall:

            (1) Provide access upon request to the legislative auditor for all matters pertaining to receipt of said funds.

            (2) Cause to be conducted an annual financial audit by an independent certified public accounting firm licensed by a regulatory authority of the state of Louisiana for that purpose, which audit shall be in accordance with auditing standards.

            (3) Provide the authority with a copy of the annual audit.

            (4) Furnish to the authority, upon request, such other financial information as may be required by the authority.

            J. Funds determined to be available for distribution to qualified public television and radio stations not licensed by the authority shall not be reported by the recipient television and radio stations not licensed to the authority to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as non-federal financial support, or in any other manner, for the purpose of determining the future Community Service Grant share of the recipient nonauthority licensee.

            K.(1) The authority shall include in its annual operating budget request to the division of administration, as a separate item, a request for funds for French language educational programming.

            (2) Any entity that receives funds for this programming shall:

            (a) Maintain financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

            (b) Provide access upon request to the legislative auditor for all matters pertaining to receipt of the funds.

            (c) Cause to be conducted an annual financial audit by an independent certified public accounting firm licensed by a regulatory authority of the state for that purpose in accordance with auditing standards and provide the authority with a copy of the annual audit.

            (d) Furnish to the authority, upon request, such other financial information as may be required by the authority.

            Acts 1985, No. 557, §1, eff. July 12, 1985; Acts 2024, No. 705, §1.