§1141. Domestic Relations Section; nonrefundable fee; assessment and disposition

A. In addition to all other fees and costs now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk of the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans, except as otherwise provided by law and subject to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq., shall collect from every person filing any suit or proceeding in the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans, Domestic Relations Section, a nonrefundable fee of ten dollars per such suit.

B. The clerk of the civil district court, within thirty days of the close of each fiscal year, shall remit all costs collected pursuant to this Section to be deposited in the state treasurer's account for credit to a special fund after meeting the requirements of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to the fund following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund. Disbursement of funds shall be made by the office of children and family services in the Department of Children and Family Services, or its successor, in accordance with Paragraph (E)(2) of this Section and only in amounts appropriated by the legislature.

C. The monies appropriated by the legislature and disbursed from the special account shall not displace, replace, or supplant appropriations from the general fund. This Subsection shall mean that no appropriation for any fiscal year from the special account shall be made for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the previous year unless the total appropriations for the fiscal year from the state general fund for such purpose exceed general fund appropriations for the previous year.

D. All monies in this account shall be used solely for the purpose of providing fiscal support to those non-profit organizations located and operating in the parish of Orleans and providing shelter for battered women and their children. A shelter is defined for purposes of this Section as a temporary residence providing assistance to battered women and their children in the reestablishment of independent living from a financial, emotional, and psychological perspective.

E.(1) Within thirty days of the receipt of such funds, the office of children and family services shall distribute the funds among those qualifying organizations. A qualifying organization must be recognized as a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be located within the parish of Orleans, and shall provide:

(a) A shelter with a minimum of twelve beds.

(b) Two in-house meals per day.

(c) Residencies for no less than fifteen days nor more than six months.

(d) A meaningful program to assist in the reestablishment of independent living from a financial, emotional, and psychological perspective.

(2) Funds shall be apportioned among the qualifying organizations on the same percentage basis that the qualifying organizations' points bear to the total number of points of all qualifying organizations. Each qualifying organization shall receive five points per available bed, one point for each percentage of bed occupancy during the year, and two points for each person sheltered for at least fifteen days. All figures shall be based on the qualifying organizations' performance during the preceding calendar year.

(3) Organizations seeking to be qualified shall apply on an annual basis to the office of community services within the time and in the manner designated by the office of community services and afford such reasonable proof as is required to establish its entitlement to funds.

Acts 2006, No. 621, §26, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 409, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2012, No. 474, §§4(B)(2) and 6.