Provides for the creation, transfer, dedication, deposit, and use of certain funds. (gov sig) (OR SG EX See Note)

Senate Bill 183 creates a new special fund in the state treasury called the Reserve Fund and establishes the statutory framework for its operation under Louisiana Revised Statutes 39:100.271. The legislation authorizes the legislature to transfer, donate, or appropriate money into the fund and provides that such deposits shall be held within the state treasury. Monies held in the Reserve Fund remain in the fund at the end of each fiscal year rather than reverting to other accounts, and the state treasurer shall invest these monies using the same investment procedures and methods applied to the state general fund, with all interest earnings credited back to the Reserve Fund. Withdrawals from the Reserve Fund are restricted and may only occur pursuant to a legislative appropriation.

The practical effect of this legislation is to establish a reserve account that operates as a permanent depository for legislative deposits without automatic depletion at fiscal year-end. The fund provides a mechanism for accumulating and preserving state resources that the legislature designates for reserve purposes, while generating investment income that compounds within the fund. The requirement that withdrawals occur only through legislative appropriation ensures that any use of Reserve Fund monies remains subject to the full appropriations process and legislative oversight rather than occurring through administrative discretion or automatic transfers.

This legislation operates within Louisiana's existing constitutional and statutory framework governing state funds and treasury management. The Reserve Fund joins other special funds established throughout Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, each of which operates as a distinct depository within the state treasury with specific deposit and withdrawal protocols. The investment provisions align the Reserve Fund with standard treasury practices under state law, incorporating the state treasurer's existing investment authorities and procedures. The bill's effectiveness upon gubernatorial signature or lapse time derives from Article III, Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution, which establishes the standard timeline for bills becoming law absent the governor's signature or veto.