CHAPTER 10.  JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

ON THE BUDGET

§651.  Committee created; membership and composition

A.  The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, hereinafter referred to as the committee, is hereby created and established as the budgetary and fiscal representative of the Legislature of Louisiana to assist that body in the discharge of its fiscal and budgetary responsibilities under the Constitution of Louisiana and to provide the legislature with information relative to such responsibilities from a source created by and responsible solely to the members of the legislature.  The committee shall, from time to time, report to the legislature its recommendations, thereby providing to the legislature comprehensive budgetary and fiscal information.  The committee shall be composed of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, or their successors, and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee or a member of that committee designated by the chairman thereof, and the chairman of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee or a member of that committee designated by the chairman thereof.  If any member of the House Appropriations Committee or the Senate Finance Committee no longer wishes or is unable to serve, the presiding officer of the respective body shall appoint another member to serve in the place of said member on the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.  No action shall be taken by the joint committee or by a joint subcommittee thereof, except by the favorable vote of a majority of the members thereof from each house present and voting, each house voting separately, a quorum of the joint committee or subcommittee being present.  A quorum of a joint committee or a joint subcommittee shall consist of a majority of the total membership thereof.

B.  The committee may establish an executive committee thereof to be composed of not more than seventeen members to perform any administrative functions or exercise any administrative powers of the committee which are assigned or granted to said committee by law, rule, or resolution or to which it succeeds under the provisions of this Chapter.

C.  The committee shall select a chairman and a vice chairman, and such other officers as it deems necessary.

D.  The members of the committee shall receive the same per diem and travel allowance in the performance of their duties as is provided for standing committees of the legislature.

E.  The committee may set additional compensation for the chairman and vice chairman of the committee for service on the committee, except that the amount of such additional compensation shall not cause the total compensation of such officers to exceed the total of the salary under R.S. 24:502 or R.S. 24:506, per diem under R.S. 24:31 and R.S. 24:502 or R.S. 24:506, and expense allowances under R.S. 24:31.1 and R.S. 24:503 authorized and available to the presiding officers of the legislature.  In addition, if such officers receive additional compensation as provided in this Subsection, such officers shall not be entitled to receive per diem as provided in Subsection D of this Section for the performance of their duties for the committee.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 538, §3, eff. March 10, 1980.  Amended by Acts 1981, No. 312, §1; eff. July 15, 1981; Acts 1997, No. 1316, §1, eff. July 1, 1997.

NOTE:  SEE ACTS 1997, NO. 1316, §2.