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HLS 26RS-2455 RE-REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1201
BY REPRESENTATIVE ILLG
ELECTED OFFICIALS/COMP: Provides with respect to the compensation of statewide
elected officials and legislators
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 24:31(A), 31.1(C)(2) and (E), 502(B), 503(B), and 506(B) and
3 R.S. 36:10, relative to compensation of elected officials; to provide for the salary of
4 the governor and other statewide elected officials; to authorize an expense allowance
5 and a housing allowance for statewide elected officials other than the governor; to
6 provide for the adjustment of the salary of statewide elected officials at the beginning
7 of each term; to provide for the per diem compensation of members of the
8 legislature; to provide for the mileage allowance available to members of the
9 legislature; to provide for per diem and mileage allowance for a member when
10 engaged in official legislative business on days not in attendance on the body; to
11 provide for the annual adjustment of the expense allowance of statewide elected
12 officials and legislators; and to provide for related matters.
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
14 Section 1. R.S. 24:31(A), 31.1(C)(2) and (E), 502(B), 503(B), and 506(B) are hereby
15 amended and reenacted to read as follows:
16 §31. Compensation of members; per diem election
17 A.(1) The compensation of the members of the legislature shall be equal to
18 the rate allowable for per diem deduction under 26 U.S.C. 162(h)(1)(B)(ii) for the
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1 location of the state capital during their attendance on that body and for no more than
2 ten days a month when engaged in official legislative business on days not in
3 attendance on the body.
4 (2) The per diem allowance for days engaged in official legislative business
5 but not in attendance on the body shall be paid only upon the filing of a voucher by
6 the member with the respective presiding officer for each such day and approval of
7 the presiding officer.
8 * * *
9 §31.1. Salary for members; expense allowance; mileage allowance
10 * * *
11 C.
12 * * *
13 (2)(a) During the interim between sessions each member shall also be paid,
14 for actual attendance at meetings of legislative committees of which he is a member
15 and for any meeting or activity when attending to official legislative business for no
16 more than ten days per month, a mileage allowance at the rate provided in Paragraph
17 (1) of this Subsection for actual travel to and from the site of such meetings or
18 activities.
19 (b) Mileage allowance for legislative committee meetings provided for in
20 this Paragraph shall be paid only upon the filing by the member of a voucher with
21 the respective presiding officer of a voucher for each such meeting or activity. The
22 legislature or either house may, by appropriate resolution, provide that no mileage
23 allowance shall be paid in the case of particular committees, or particular meetings,
24 or activities.
25 * * *
26 E.(1) In addition to the salary, compensation, and all other allowances
27 provided by law for members of the legislature, each member of the legislature shall
28 be paid a monthly expense allowance, as referred to in R.S. 11:403(10), in the
29 amount of five hundred dollars per month for expenses in connection with the
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1 holding or conduct of their office. Warrants for the payment of such allowance shall
2 be in accordance with, and subject to, Subsection B of this Section.
3 (2) The expense allowance provided for in this Subsection shall be adjusted
4 for inflation on January first of each year by the change in the consumer price index -
5 U.S. city average for all urban consumers (CPI-U) as prepared by the United States
6 Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, applied annually and shall reflect
7 the change, if any, since the amount was last modified, provided that any adjustment
8 in a monthly amount shall only be made in whole increments of one hundred dollars.
9 * * *
10 §502. Speaker of the House of Representatives; salary; expenses
11 * * *
12 B. In addition to the days for which he is authorized a per diem as provided
13 in R.S. 24:31 or for attendance at meetings of legislative and other committees or
14 commissions during the interim between sessions, the speaker shall be paid the per
15 diem authorized in R.S. 24:31 for each day spent in the state capitol in the conduct
16 of the business of his office, upon filing of a voucher for each such day with the clerk
17 of the House. The speaker shall be entitled to the per diem and all other allowances
18 provided for by law for members of the legislature.
19 §503. Expenses
20 * * *
21 B. The president members of the Senate and speaker of the members of the
22 House of Representatives shall be entitled to be reimbursed for expenses incurred in
23 maintaining a residence in the capital city, in an amount not to exceed one thousand
24 dollars per month, upon filing an itemized statement of expenses and appropriate
25 invoices or receipts supporting the same with the chief clerical officer of their
26 respective house of the legislature. The Legislative Budgetary Control Council may
27 promulgate rules concerning expenses pursuant to this Subsection including an
28 annual election for reimbursement up to the monthly limit as an expense allowance
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1 or through an accountable plan maintained in accordance with Title 26 of the United
2 States Code.
3 (2) The expense allowance provided for in this Subsection shall be adjusted
4 for inflation on January first of each year by the change in the consumer price index-
5 U.S. city average for all urban consumers (CPI-U) as prepared by the United States
6 Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, applied annually and shall reflect
7 the change, if any, since the amount was last modified, provided that any adjustment
8 in a monthly amount shall only be made in whole increments of one hundred dollars.
9 * * *
10 §506. President of the Senate; salary; expenses
11 * * *
12 B. In addition to the days for which he is authorized a per diem as provided
13 in R.S. 24:31 or for attendance at meetings of legislative and other committees or
14 commissions during the interim between sessions, the president shall be paid the per
15 diem authorized in R.S. 24:31 for each day spent in the state capitol in the conduct
16 of the business of his office, upon filing of a voucher for each such day with the
17 secretary of the Senate. The president shall be entitled to the per diem and all other
18 allowances provided for by law for members of the legislature.
19 Section 2. R.S. 36:10 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
20 §10. Statewide elected officials; salary and compensation
21 A. The salary of the governor shall be one hundred thirty seventy-four
22 thousand dollars, payable monthly upon his own warrant.
23 B.(1) The salary of each statewide elected official, except the governor, shall
24 be one hundred fifteen fifty-four thousand dollars, payable monthly upon the
25 statewide elected official's own warrant.
26 (2) In addition to his salary, each statewide elected official, except the
27 governor, shall be entitled to a monthly unvouchered housing allowance of two
28 thousand five hundred dollars per month.
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1 (3) In addition to his salary, each statewide elected official, except the
2 governor, shall be entitled to a monthly unvouchered expense allowance of one
3 thousand dollars per month payable upon the statewide elected official's own warrant.
4 The expense allowance shall be adjusted for inflation on January first of each year
5 by the change in the consumer price index - U.S. city average for all urban
6 consumers (CPI-U) as prepared by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau
7 of Labor Statistics, applied annually and shall reflect the change, if any, since the
8 amount was last modified, provided that any adjustment in a monthly amount shall
9 only be made in whole increments of one hundred dollars.
10 C. At noon on the second Monday in January in 2032, and every four years
11 thereafter, the salaries designated in this Section shall be increased by the amount,
12 if any, of personal income growth for Louisiana as defined and reported by the
13 United States Department of Commerce, or its successor agency, measured by
14 comparing the per capita rate of personal income for Louisiana at the time of the last
15 adjustment through the most recently available published estimate at the time of
16 commencement of the new term of office. The amount of any increase shall be
17 certified by the legislative auditor.
18 Section 3. This Act shall become effective at noon on January 10, 2028.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 1201 Re-Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Illg
Abstract: Provides for the salary of the governor and other statewide elected officials;
provides for a housing allowance for statewide elected officials, other than the
governor; provides for per diem, mileage reimbursements, and housing allowance
for legislators.
Present law provides that members of the legislature may receive compensation, referred to
as per diem, equal to the rate allowable for per diem deduction by the U.S. General Services
Administration (GSA) for the location of the state capital during their attendance on the
legislature.
Proposed law retains present law and further authorizes members of the legislature to receive
the GSA rate for per diem for no more than 10 days a month when engaged in official
legislative business on days not in attendance on the body.
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Present law provides that in addition to per diem and all other allowances provided by law
for members of the legislature, each member of the legislature, except the president and the
president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker and the speaker pro tempore of the
House of Representatives, shall be paid a salary in the full sum of $16,800 per year.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that in addition to the per diem and salary and all other allowances
provided by law for members of the legislature, each member shall be paid a mileage
allowance for trips to and from the capitol during sessions of the legislature, regardless of
the method of transportation, equal to the GSA standard mileage rate for business travel.
Provides that such mileage allowance shall be paid for a number of trips not to exceed the
number of calendar weeks, or fraction thereof, of the session.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that during the interim between sessions each member shall also be
paid, for actual attendance at meetings of legislative committees of which he is a member,
a mileage allowance equal to the GSA standard mileage rate for business travel for actual
travel to and from the site of such meetings.
Proposed law retains present law and further authorizes members of the legislature to receive
the same mileage allowance up to 10 days per month for any meeting or activity when
engaging in official legislative business.
Present law provides that the mileage allowance for legislative committee meetings shall be
paid only upon the filing by the member with the respective presiding officer of a voucher
for each such meeting. Further provides that the legislature or either house may, by
appropriate resolution, provide that no mileage allowance shall be paid in the case of
particular committees or particular meetings.
Proposed law retains present law and requires the member to file a voucher for payment of
the mileage allowance provided for by proposed law.
Present law provides that in addition to the salary, compensation, and all other allowances
provided by law for members of the legislature, each member of the legislature shall be paid
a monthly expense allowance in the amount of $500 per month for expenses in connection
with the holding or conduct of their office.
Proposed law retains present law and further provides that the expense allowance shall be
adjusted for inflation on Jan. 1 of each year by the change in the consumer price index-U.S.
city average for all urban consumers (CPI-U), applied annually and shall reflect the change,
if any, since the amount was last modified, provided that any adjustment in a monthly
amount shall only be made in whole increments of $100.
Present law provides that the salary of the speaker of the House of Representatives and
president of the Senate shall be $32,000 per year. Proposed law retains present law.
Further provides that in addition to the days for which he is authorized a per diem as
provided in present law or for attendance at meetings of legislative and other committees or
commissions during the interim between sessions, the speaker and president shall be paid
the per diem for each day spent in the state capitol in the conduct of the business of his
office, upon filing of a voucher for each such day with the clerk of the House.
Proposed law instead provides that the speaker and president shall be entitled to the per diem
and all other allowances provided for by law for members of the legislature.
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Present law requires that the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives be reimbursed for housing expenses when maintaining a residence in the
capital city, not to exceed $1,000 per month. Requires the president of the Senate and the
speaker of the House of Representatives to file an itemized statement of expenses and
appropriate invoices or receipts.
Proposed law changes present law by extending the housing allowance for reimbursement
of housing expenses when maintaining a residence in the capital city to all members of the
legislature, not to exceed $1,000 per month. Requires an itemized statement but no longer
requires expenses to be listed or the production of invoices or receipts. Authorizes the
Legislative Budgetary Control Council to promulgate rules concerning the expenses incurred
in maintaining a residence in the capital city.
Proposed law provides that the housing allowance shall be adjusted for inflation on Jan. 1
of each year by the change in the consumer price index - U.S. city average for all urban
consumers (CPI-U), applied annually and shall reflect the change, if any, since the amount
was last modified, provided that any adjustment in a monthly amount shall only be made in
whole increments of $100.
Present law sets the salary of the governor at $130,000.
Proposed law increases the salary of the governor to $174,000, adjusted each term by the
amount of the personal income growth for La.
Present law sets the salary of each statewide elected official, except the governor, at
$115,000.
Proposed law increases the salary of each statewide elected official, except the governor, to
$154,000, adjusted each term by the amount of the personal growth income for La.
Proposed law provides for statewide elected officials, other than the governor, to receive an
unvouchered housing allowance of $2,500 per month.
Proposed law provides for statewide elected officials, other than the governor, to receive a
monthly unvouchered expense allowance of $1,000 per month, adjusted annually for
inflation.
Effective January 10, 2028.
(Amends R.S. 24:31(A), 31.1(C)(2) and (E), 502(B), 503(B), and 506(B) and R.S. 36:10)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to the
engrossed bill:
1. Authorize for all members of the legislature to be reimbursed for housing
expenses in the capital city not to exceed $1,000 per month.
2. Authorize the Legislative Budgetary Control Council to promulgate rules for the
reimbursement of expenses related to maintaining a residence in the capital city.
3. Make technical changes.
The House Floor Amendments to the reengrossed bill:
1. Provide that the salary of the governor shall be $174,000 adjusted each term by
the amount of the personal income growth for La., rather than being a percentage
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of the average compensation of the presidents of each public postsecondary
education system.
2. Provide that the salary of statewide elected officials shall be $154,000 adjusted
each term by the amount of the personal income growth for La., rather than a
percentage of the average compensation of the presidents of each public
postsecondary education system.
3. Establish a monthly unvouchered expense allowance, rather than a vehicle
allowance, of $1,000/month for each statewide elected official other than the
governor, adjusted annually for inflation.
4. Provide that the monthly expense allowance for legislators and statewide elected
officials and the housing allowance for the speaker of the House of
Representatives and president of the Senate be adjusted annually for inflation.
5. Provide that the proposed law housing allowance for statewide elected officials
other than the governor is unvouchered.
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