RS 22:347

§347. Disposition of tax money A. Monies collected under R.S. 22:342 through 349, after being first credited to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund in accordance with Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, shall be credited to a special fund hereby established in the state treasury and known as the "Two Percent Fire Insurance Fund" hereinafter the "fund". Monies in the fund shall be available in amounts appropriated annually by the legislature for the following purposes in the following order of priority: (1)(a) For the state fire marshal, an amount necessary to satisfy the requirements of R.S. 40:1593, relative to the purchase of group insurance for volunteer firefighters. (b) For the state fire marshal, an amount necessary to satisfy the requirements of R.S. 23:1036, relative to the purchase of workers' compensation insurance for volunteer firefighters. (c) For the state fire marshal, an amount necessary to satisfy the requirements of R.S. 40:1593.1, relative to the purchase of group critical illness insurance for volunteer members of fire companies. (2)(a) For the Fire and Emergency Training Academy administered by the office of state fire marshal for allocation to the Pine Country Education Center in the parish of Webster, the sum of seventy thousand dollars per year, which shall be transferred without imposition of administrative fee or cost, to be used to develop and operate a firefighter training center operated in accordance with the standards and requirements of the Fire and Emergency Training Academy administered by the office of state fire marshal. (b) For the Fire and Emergency Training Academy administered by the office of state fire marshal for allocation to Delgado Community College, the sum of seventy thousand dollars per year, which shall be transferred without imposition of administrative fee or cost, to be used to develop and operate a firefighter training center operated in accordance with the standards and requirements of the Fire and Emergency Training Academy administered by the office of state fire marshal. (3) For the Fire and Emergency Training Academy administered by the office of state fire marshal, the sum of seventy thousand dollars per year for support of the firefighter training program. (4) For distribution to each parish governing authority in accordance with rules and regulations established by the state treasurer based upon the formula provided for herein: (a) Except in Orleans Parish, the state treasurer shall pay over to the treasurer of each governing authority of the parish described in R.S. 22:343 the full amount of money due as determined by the state treasurer. These funds shall be allocated, distributed, and paid to each parish on the basis of a determination of the established population category of each parish as shown by the latest federal census or as determined by the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Agriculture Center, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, under the latest federal-state cooperative program for local population estimates. Such determination shall be submitted by the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Agriculture Center, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, to the state treasurer annually not later than January fifteenth of each calendar year. Any parish governing authority which is aggrieved by such determination may file a petition for administrative review with the state treasurer not later than March fifteenth of each calendar year. The determination so submitted shall have no effect on the distribution for the fiscal year in which it is made, but shall be utilized for purposes of this Subpart for distribution during the next ensuing fiscal year as follows: (i) Those regularly paid fire departments of an incorporated municipality or fire and waterworks district in any unincorporated municipality or active volunteer fire departments having a population within its geographical area of one to two thousand five hundred shall receive seven hundred fifty dollars per annum. (ii) Those regularly paid fire departments of an incorporated municipality or fire and waterworks district in any unincorporated municipality or active volunteer fire departments having a population of two thousand five hundred one to five thousand shall receive one thousand dollars per annum. (iii) Those regularly paid fire departments of an incorporated municipality or fire and waterworks district in any unincorporated municipality or active volunteer fire departments having a population of five thousand one or more shall receive one thousand two hundred fifty dollars per annum. (b) Additional funds shall be distributed to each parish based on the following population formula: (i) Where the population is twenty-four thousand or less, the parish shall receive thirty-four cents for each inhabitant. (ii) Where the population is twenty-four thousand one to fifty-five thousand inclusive, the parish shall receive thirty-seven cents per inhabitant. (iii) Where the population is fifty-five thousand one to one hundred thousand inclusive, the parish shall receive forty cents per inhabitant. (iv) Where the population is one hundred thousand one to two hundred fifty thousand inclusive, the parish shall receive forty-four cents per inhabitant. (v) Where the population is two hundred fifty thousand one to four hundred twenty-five thousand inclusive, the parish shall receive forty-seven cents per inhabitant. (vi) Where the population is over four hundred twenty-five thousand, the parish shall receive fifty cents per inhabitant. (c) Any balance which remains after making the distributions required in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph shall be allocated on an equal per capita basis until all of the available funds are utilized. (d) If the total amount of monies available for distribution pursuant to Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph is less than the one hundred percent required to fully implement such formula, the amount distributed shall be prorated equally among the formula categories by the state treasurer prior to distribution to each parish governing authority. B. These funds shall be allocated, distributed, and paid by each parish governing authority to each regularly constituted fire department of the municipality or district, or active volunteer fire department certified by the parish governing authority, based on the population within the area serviced by said regularly constituted fire department of the municipality or district, or active volunteer fire department. In order to determine the amount of the funds which shall be paid to each fire department, district, or municipality, from the parish governing authority, the following formula shall be applied: (1) Total population serviced by all certified fire units in the parish divided into the total monies received by the parish from this tax equals the per capita available for distribution to certified local fire units. (2) Total population serviced by each certified local fire unit in the parish multiplied by the per capita available as determined by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection equals the funds due each certified local fire unit in the parish. C. The distribution of the proceeds from the premium tax shall in no way be considered as a basis for reduction of any additional parish funds currently remitted to local fire units for the purpose of fire protection. D.(1) All money received under the provisions of R.S. 22:342 through 349 by the treasurer of the governing authority of the parish shall, within thirty days from the time it is received, be paid over by the treasurer to the fiscal representative of the regularly constituted fire department of the municipality or district or active volunteer fire department, as the case may be. If any of these funds are not so distributed either by mutual consent or without consent of the regularly paid fire department of the municipality or district or active volunteer fire department certified by the parish governing authority, such funds shall be invested in an interest-bearing account and any accrued interest on the investment of funds shall be credited and distributed per capita to the regularly paid fire department of the municipality or district or active volunteer fire department, as provided by this Section. (2) Such money shall be used only for the purpose of rendering more efficient and efficacious the regularly paid fire department of the municipality or district or active volunteer fire department, as the case may be, in such manner as the governing body shall direct. E. In Orleans Parish the state treasurer shall pay over to the secretary-treasurer of the board of trustees of the Firefighter's Pension and Relief Fund of the city of New Orleans all monies due under the provisions of R.S. 22:342 through 349 collected pursuant to R.S. 22:345. Such money shall be used only for the purpose of rendering more efficient and efficacious the pension system of the fire department of the city of New Orleans in such manner as the governing body of said pension fund shall direct as provided by law. F. Repealed by Acts 2001, No. 189, §3, eff. July 1, 2002. Acts 1958, No. 125. Amended by Acts 1969, No. 119, §1; Acts 1976, No. 218, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1977; Acts 1989, No. 795, §1, eff. July 1, 1989; Acts 1990, No. 759, §1; Acts 1991, No. 263, §1; Acts 1995, No. 641, §1; Acts 2001, No. 189, §1, eff. May 31, 2001, No. 189, §3, July 1, 2002; Acts 2007, No. 349, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1585 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 304, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 503, §1; Acts 2012, No. 555, §1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2017, No. 346, §1; Acts 2022, No. 231, §1. NOTE: Former R.S. 22:347 redesignated as R.S. 22:207 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.