§167. Louisiana Public Defender Fund

A. "The Louisiana Public Defender Fund", hereinafter referred to as the "LPD Fund", is hereby created in the state treasury. Interest earned on the investment of monies in the fund shall be deposited in and credited to the fund. Unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the close of each fiscal year shall remain in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be appropriated, administered, and used solely and exclusively for purposes of the Louisiana Public Defender Act and program and as further provided in this Section.

B. The fund shall be comprised of all monies appropriated, donated, or otherwise made available to provide funding for the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act. All of such monies required to be deposited in the state treasury in accordance with Article VII, Section 9(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana shall be deposited in the fund after first meeting the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

C. Monies in the fund shall be appropriated and used solely and exclusively to provide for the implementation of the Louisiana Public Defender Act and the program.

D. The LPD Fund shall be administered by the board as authorized by the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act. The board is hereby authorized to establish such accounts or sub-accounts within the LPD Fund as deemed necessary to comply with the provisions of the Louisiana Public Defender Act and the program. The board shall not commingle the monies in the LPD Fund established in this Section with any other monies or funds of the board for any reason.

E. The board shall dedicate and disburse at least sixty-five percent of the entirety of its annual budget and its funds in the Louisiana Public Defender Fund as defined in Subsection A of this Section each fiscal year to the district defender offices and their indigent defender funds as defined in R.S. 15:168(A) in the various judicial districts throughout the state. Any funds disbursed to any district defender office shall be paid in addition to the minimum mandatory sixty-five percent of dedicated and disbursed funds required in this Subsection. The provisions of this Subsection shall not apply to statutorily dedicated funds or funds received through the awarding of grants.

Acts 2007, No. 307, §1; Acts 2016, No. 571, §1.