§3662. Witness fees for law enforcement officers, fire service persons, and representatives of governmental traffic engineering departments

A. Each law enforcement officer, fire service person, or person testifying as a representative of a governmental traffic engineering department, hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "witness", or "officer", who, because of his official capacity, is required to be present as a witness in any civil case or in any administrative hearing held pursuant to any law of this state, including but not limited to R.S. 32:668 or 1504 or R.S. 40:1485.6, shall be paid an appearance fee of forty dollars per day per case or per hearing, when the witness's presence in court, at the administrative hearing, or at a deposition is required by subpoena or other circumstance, and for which he is present, regardless of whether he actually testifies. However, no such appearance fee shall be paid to a witness or officer required to be present as a witness on behalf of a law enforcement officer or fire service person in any appeal taken by the law enforcement officer or fire service person in state or city civil service proceedings instituted against him.

B. Each witness as described in R.S. 13:3662(A) shall also be paid the appearance fee for one day if a day is necessarily occupied in going to and returning from the place of attendance.

C. A witness as described in R.S. 13:3662(A) who travels by common carrier shall be paid for the actual expenses of travel on the basis of the means of transportation reasonably utilized and the distance necessarily traveled to and from the witness's residence by the shortest practical route. The witness shall utilize a common carrier at the most economical rate reasonably available. A receipt or other evidence of actual cost shall be furnished.

D. A mileage allowance at the rate designated by the division of administration shall also be paid to any person described in R.S. 13:3662(A) who travels by privately owned vehicle. This allowance may be claimed by the witness for his department if travel is in a department vehicle.

E. A sustenance allowance shall be paid to a witness as described in R.S. 13:3662(A) when an overnight stay is required at the place of attendance because such place is so far removed from the residence of such witness that return thereto from day to day is impractical. This allowance shall be paid at the rate designated by the division of administration.

F.(1) Each law enforcement officer, fire service personnel, or governmental traffic engineering representative subpoenaed as a witness shall be paid by the party which subpoenaed him, except that, if the matter goes to trial and is decided by the court, the appearance fee and expenses paid to the witness pursuant to this Section shall be taxed as court costs and paid by the party requesting the subpoena to be issued and may be recovered by the prevailing party against the party cast in judgment. The fee shall be first advanced, however, by the party requesting the subpoena to be issued and may be recovered by the prevailing party against the party cast in judgment. The fee shall be paid to the officer or agency responsible for effecting service of process of the subpoena herein referred to as custodian. In those cases where the officer makes an appearance, he shall make his presence known to the custodian and shall indicate whether or not he is being paid by his governmental employer.

(2) If the officer is not being compensated by his governmental employer, the custodian will pay the appearance fee directly to the officer.

(3) If the officer is being compensated by his governmental employer during the period of his appearance, then the custodian shall pay the appearance fee to the officer's governmental employer or fiscal officer who is designated or authorized to receive revenues on behalf of the governmental body. The governmental employer may retain such portion of the appearance fee as is necessary to reimburse it for salary, benefits, and other expenses it expends in making its employee available as a witness; if the appearance fee exceeds the amount the employer is required to pay in salary, benefits, and expenses for such appearance, the employer shall transmit the difference to the witness. In no case, however, shall the witness receive less than he would have been compensated as set forth herein.

(4) In those cases where the officer is present as a witness for a period of time during which he is being compensated partially by his governmental employer and a portion of time during which he is not being compensated by his employer, then the custodian shall prorate the appearance fee in the same proportion as the noncompensated time is to the compensated time and will distribute the portions directly to the witness and to the governmental employer in the appropriate fractions.

(5) In those cases where the officer does not make an appearance, the party who advanced the witness fee may request that the custodian refund the witness fee to the party or attorney who advanced the fee.

(6) The custodians of the witness fees are authorized to adopt procedures in conjunction with the various law enforcement, fire service, and governmental traffic engineering agencies with respect to the verification of attendance and payment of fees.

G. No witness shall be allowed more than twice the appearance fee in any one day, regardless of the number of cases or hearings for which he is required to be present.

H.(1) For purposes of an administrative hearing held for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections pursuant to any law of this state, including but not limited to, R.S. 32:668, R.S. 32:1504 or R.S. 40:1485.6, each law enforcement officer or fire service personnel who, because of his official capacity, is required to be present as a witness shall be paid an appearance fee at the rate as set forth in Subsection A per day per hearing, when his presence is required by subpoena, and for which he is present, regardless of whether he actually testifies. The appearance fee shall be paid by the party who subpoenas the witness by money order or check drawn on a lawyer's account and made payable, in the alternative, to the witness or his governmental employer. Notice of that payment must be given to the person facing suspension or revocation of license on a form approved by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, pursuant to R.S. 32:667(C), stating that the person has the right to subpoena the witness, but that he must pay the fee whether the hearing officer finds that the suspension was reasonable or not. If the law enforcement officer or fire service personnel does not appear in person at the hearing, such law enforcement officer or fire service personnel shall not be entitled to the fee. However, if the officer is off duty at the time he appears as a witness in an administrative hearing via telephone, video conference or similar communication equipment, he shall receive the witness fee. The hearing officer shall note on the subpoena that payment was received. If the witness appears, he shall sign the subpoena, date it, state the time, whether or not he was on duty or off duty, and whether or not he was being compensated by his governmental employer. If the witness is not being compensated by his governmental employer, the hearing officer shall deliver the appearance fee to the witness who shall indicate receipt in writing on the subpoena if the witness appears in person. If, in accordance with R.S. 49:994(D)(4), the witness appears by telephone, video conference, or similar communication equipment, the hearing officer shall note the information on the subpoena. If the witness is being compensated by his governmental employer, the hearing officer shall forward the fee to the appropriate governmental employer unless the witness fails to appear. In that case, the fee shall be returned to the remitter.

(2)(a) When a law enforcement officer is subpoenaed by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections for the purpose of appearing and giving testimony in any proceeding for judicial review of administrative action of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections pursuant to any law of this state, including but not limited to such action pursuant to R.S. 32:668, R.S. 32:1504, and R.S. 40:1485.6, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall deposit with the clerk of court for each subpoena so issued the sum of twenty-five dollars. Any law enforcement officer appearing pursuant to such subpoena shall, whether or not he actually testifies, be paid by the clerk of court said sum of twenty-five dollars upon the officer signing a certification on the subpoena that at the time of the appearance he was off duty and not otherwise required to report to work.

(b) When a law enforcement officer is subpoenaed by the Department of Environmental Quality for the purpose of appearing and giving testimony in any proceeding for judicial review of administrative action of the Department of Environmental Quality pursuant to any law of this state, including but not limited to such action pursuant to R.S. 30:2024, the Department of Environmental Quality shall deposit with the clerk of court for each subpoena issued, the sum of twenty-five dollars. Any law enforcement officer appearing pursuant to such subpoena shall, whether or not he actually testifies, be paid by the clerk of court said sum of twenty-five dollars upon the officer signing a certification on the subpoena that at the time of the appearance he was off duty and not otherwise required to report to work.

(3) Any sum deposited by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or the Department of Environmental Quality and paid to a law enforcement officer pursuant to Subparagraph (2)(a) or (b) of this Subsection shall be taxed as costs and assessed against the nonprevailing party in the proceeding for judicial review. Any such sum not paid to a law enforcement officer shall be remitted monthly to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or the Department of Environmental Quality, as the case may be, by the clerk of court.

I. For the purposes of this Section only, "fire service personnel" includes all persons employed or engaged full-time, part-time, or on a volunteer basis by municipalities or municipal fire departments, parishes or parish fire departments, or fire protection districts for fire fighting or fire prevention duties and services, including employees of the state fire marshal's office.

J. The provisions of this Section shall not release an officer's employer or agency from its responsibility to pay a witness officer in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other applicable law; nor shall any provision of this Section increase the obligation of an officer's governmental employer agency to pay, as salary, any amount in excess of the officer's salary in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other applicable law.

K. In any judicial proceeding, administrative hearing, deposition, or other circumstance governed by the provisions of this Section which is instituted or prosecuted by or against the state, or any parish, municipality, or other political subdivision, board, or commission, the provisions of R.S. 13:4521 and R.S. 13:4533 shall control with respect to the responsibilities of such governmental entities for the witness fees provided herein.

Added by Acts 1983, No. 220, §2. Acts 1984, No. 737, §1; Acts 1985, No. 428, §1, eff. July 10, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 417, §1; Acts 1987, No. 795, §1, eff. July 20, 1987; Acts 1988, No. 969, §1; Acts 1989, No. 365, §1; Acts 1991, No. 206, §1, eff. July 2, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 363, §1; Acts 1993, No. 978, §§1, 2, eff. June 25, 1993; Acts 1993, No. 996, §1; Acts 1995, No. 507, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1208, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 2006, No. 646, §1, eff. July 1, 2006.