§1608. Senior centers; appropriation; allocation of funds; parish-specific provisions

            A. The legislature shall appropriate annually to the office of elderly affairs, hereinafter referred to as the "office", for distribution by the executive director of the office to the various voluntary parish councils on aging, except in Rapides Parish to a corporation or organization which has provided senior center services for a minimum of two years and which is hereinafter referred to as the "Rapides Parish area agency", for the operation of senior centers throughout the state, funds sufficient to allocate to each parish council on aging, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, a sum equal to fifty thousand dollars, plus five dollars and eighteen cents per person above a base population of three thousand persons age sixty years or older who are residents of the parish, as shown by the latest official census estimate, but in no case less than fifty thousand dollars. The office shall include funds in their annual budget request for increases in funding based on the number of elderly as estimated in the census estimate.

            B. Funds appropriated by the legislature pursuant to Subsection A of this Section shall be distributed by the executive director of the office and shall be allocated to each parish council on aging, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, in the amount of a sum equal to fifty thousand dollars, plus five dollars and eighteen cents per person above a base population of three thousand persons age sixty years or older who are residents of the parish as shown by the latest official census estimate, but in no case less than fifty thousand dollars. The sums so allocated shall be distributed quarterly during the first thirty days of each quarter of the fiscal year. In appropriating funds pursuant to this Section, the legislature shall specifically provide for the allocation of funds to the respective parish councils, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

            C. The executive director of the office shall distribute the funds appropriated pursuant to this Section and allocated to particular parish councils, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, to each parish council, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, which has filed its charter and its articles of incorporation with the office and with the secretary of state, provided such council, except in Rapides Parish the Rapides Parish area agency, is in compliance with all budgetary and fiscal requirements of law. Such funds shall be distributed in the amounts as provided by the legislature in accordance with this Section.

            D. Funds appropriated pursuant to this Section shall not be in lieu of and shall not in any way replace any other funds appropriated, or to be appropriated, to or for the voluntary parish councils on aging, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, including those appropriated pursuant to Title III of the Older Americans Act (42 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) or other funds allocated pursuant to the Older Americans Act, and any other funds presently appropriated, allocated, or otherwise made available or any funds hereafter appropriated, allocated, or otherwise made available for use by the voluntary parish councils on aging, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency. The balance of any funds appropriated pursuant to this Section which are not allocated to a particular parish council, except in Rapides Parish to the Rapides Parish area agency, pursuant to the formula provided in this Section shall be allocated to the parish councils of the parishes of Beauregard, Bienville, Cameron, Iberville, Natchitoches, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. John, Vernon, and Winn in an amount equal to the amount necessary to maintain program operations at the 1982-1983 funding level. The remaining portion thereof shall be divided in equal amounts between the parish councils of the parishes of Orleans and Ouachita.

            E. The provisions of this Section shall be administered in accordance with policies and procedures established by the office of elderly affairs in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

            F. The executive director may reallocate funds between parish councils on aging, or in Rapides Parish, to or from the Rapides Parish Area Agency, to provide for an increase or decrease in Louisiana residents age sixty or over in such parish due to a disaster. Such allocation shall be subject to review and approval of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. For the purposes of this Subsection "disaster" means a disaster declared by the governor by executive order or proclamation pursuant to the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act (R.S. 29:721 et seq.).

            G. The Jefferson Council on Aging shall allocate services in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 46:1608.1 among centers in the parish of Jefferson at which activities and services for residents age sixty or over are provided.

            Added by Acts 1983, No. 690, §1. Acts 1988, No. 1007, §1, eff. July 1, 1988; Acts 1992, No. 574, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1182, §1; Acts 2006, No. 693, §1, eff. June 29, 2006; Acts 2017, No. 215, §1; Acts 2023, No. 100, §1, eff. June 6, 2023.