§186. Authorization for staff to attend executive sessions

A. The chairman of the House Committee on Retirement and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Retirement may each independently authorize legislative staff to attend any executive session of any board meeting or committee meeting of any state or statewide retirement system board or committee.

B.(1) An authorization made pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be made in writing, specifically name the legislative staff member or members authorized to attend such executive sessions, and be submitted to the director of the state or statewide retirement system board whose executive sessions staff shall be authorized to attend. Such authorization shall be valid for one calendar year from the date of submission, unless modified or revoked as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.

(2) The chairman of the House Committee on Retirement and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Retirement are authorized to revoke or modify any written authorization made pursuant to this Section at any time by providing written notice to the director of the affected board. A revocation shall immediately terminate the authorization made pursuant to this Section. A modification shall act as a new written authorization and shall be valid for one calendar year from the date submitted.

C. Legislative staff authorized to attend executive session pursuant to this Section have the same rights, duties, and privileges, including the lawyer-client privilege, which apply to the legislators as members of the board, as they relate to any information or communication that is provided to or presented in the presence of such legislative staff in executive session.

D. A legislative staff member authorized to attend meetings pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall not be considered a "designee" as provided in R.S. 11:181 or R.S. 42:1124.2.1 and shall not be allowed to vote.

Acts 2012, No. 224, §1, eff. May 22, 2012; Acts 2017, No. 366, §1.