Creates the "T.R.U.S.T. Act" to increase oversight of nongovernmental entities (NGOs) receiving state funds.

Key Provisions:

• Requires NGOs to submit financial reports and itemized administrative expenses before receiving state appropriations.
• Noncompliant NGOs are ineligible for funding for three years.
• Prohibits NGOs from using state funds for lobbying or political activities.
• Bans public officials and their families from being paid by funded NGOs.
• Creates a public, searchable database of NGO contracts, funding, and compliance.
• Annual compliance reports required to be submitted to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.
• Schools reporting through the School Transparency Project are exempt.

Why are we doing NGO appropriations and most especially for out of state entities? If you’re taking government money you’re not a Non Government Organization.

Current Law vs. SB 184 (T.R.U.S.T. Act) – Nongovernmental Entity Appropriations

1. Eligibility Requirements for Funding

Current Law: 

- Limited requirements; entities must submit basic information to be included in appropriations bills. 

- Public purpose and use of funds required, but not standardized or strictly enforced.

Proposed: 

- Adds stricter eligibility standards: 

 - Entity must be a Louisiana-registered nonprofit with a physical office. 

 - Must have operated continuously for 12 months before applying. 

 - Administrative costs may not exceed 15% of total spending.

2. Required Documentation

Current Law: 

- Requires submission of certain financial and operational info to the legislature (e.g., recent audit, contact info, purpose).

Proposed:

- Expands documentation requirements: 

 - Most recent audit must be approved by the legislative auditor. 

 - Must certify no outstanding audit issues or have a plan to resolve them. 

 - Requires a sworn public purpose statement aligned with constitutional/governmental functions. 

 - Entities must submit a certificate of compliance before funds are released.

3. Reporting and Outcomes

Current Law: 

- No standard format or timeline for reporting on use of funds.

Proposed: 

- Requires submission of reports showing measurable outcomes (e.g., people served, services delivered) within 6 months of the fiscal year’s end. 

- Failure to submit disqualifies the entity from future funding for 5 years.

4. Conflict of Interest

Current Law: 

- Requires disclosure if a public official or family member is affiliated with the entity, but does not ban the relationship.

Proposed: 

- Prohibits any public official, employee, or immediate family member from serving in a compensated or decision-making role in an entity receiving funds.

5. Lobbying and Political Activity

Current Law: 

- No clear prohibition.

Proposed: 

- Explicitly bans use of state funds (direct or indirect) for lobbying or political contributions.

6. Enforcement and Penalties

Current Law: 

- Limited enforcement; mostly through legislative discretion or audit findings.

Proposed: 

- Criminal penalties for knowingly submitting false reports (R.S. 14:133). 

- Allows for clawback of funds and 5-year disqualification.

7. Oversight and Transparency

Current Law: 

- No centralized reporting or tracking system.

Proposed: 

- Requires the state treasurer to: 

 - Report annually on the status of funded entities. 

 - Maintain a searchable online database with funding details and compliance status. 

 - Post all reports and audits online within 30 days of receipt.

8. Funding Duration

Current Law: 

- No limit on consecutive years of funding.

Proposed: 

- Limits appropriations to 3 consecutive years unless the entity undergoes performance review and reapplies.

Key Provisions: 

- Restructures the board of directors, changing appointment processes and membership composition. 

- Allows current board members to serve out their terms; full transition by 2029. 

- Updates references to museum properties and clarifies LSM’s authority over collections and leasing. 

- Grants the office of the state museum broader authority over property leasing, including ability to outsource management. 

- Repeals obsolete statutes. 

- Effective August 1, 2025.

Excludes certain services from being classified as employment for unemployment insurance purposes. 

Key Provisions: 

- Services performed by an individual are excluded from the definition of "employment" for five years after hire if: 

 - The individual was hired within one year of release from incarceration. 

 - The individual was not incarcerated for any of the following crimes under R.S. 15:541: 

   - (2) Aggravated crimes of violence 

   - (24) Human trafficking 

   - (25) Aggravated offenses involving minors 

   - (27) Terrorism-related offenses 

Effective Date: January 1, 2026.

Implications:

• Removes the requirement that unemployment benefits paid due to executive orders from hurricanes Katrina and Rita be recouped through the social charge account and distributed to all employers.
• Extends from 3 days to 10 days the timeframe employers have to send the notice of employee separation to both the administrator and the separated employee.
• Requires that notices to the administrator be sent electronically.

Effective August 1, 2025.

SENATE floor amendments [LINK] clarify that electronic monitoring costs apply only to adults, requiring courts to waive such fees in juvenile cases. Additionally, they specify that after a court’s third finding of noncompliance with electronic monitoring, an adult is returned to state custody, and a juvenile to a pretrial facility.

SENATE committee amendments [LINK] set rules for certifying and registering electronic monitoring providers and equipment makers. They create a new crime for breaking electronic monitoring conditions, like entering banned areas or violating curfew, with penalties that increase if the person commits a felony or is out on bail for a violent crime. Courts can waive monitoring costs for juveniles if justified. State agencies must create official rules to manage the program.

Amend’s Louisiana's electronic monitoring laws for certain criminal defendants. The bill mandates that electronic monitoring service providers notify relevant authorities—including bail agents, district attorneys, or the attorney general—of any violations of a defendant's monitoring conditions within one day of detection. Providers who intentionally withhold or fail to report such information may face fines up to $1,000 per day, imprisonment for up to six months, and a five-year prohibition from offering electronic monitoring services in the state.

Additionally, the bill requires courts to impose conditions aimed at the rehabilitation of individuals under electronic monitoring, such as maintaining employment or, for juveniles, attending school and adhering to curfews. The costs associated with electronic monitoring would be the responsibility of the monitored individual. The bill also allows for the temporary detention of individuals, not exceeding six hours, to address equipment issues like charging or repairs. Furthermore, upon receiving reports of noncompliance, courts may issue arrest warrants, and after three noncompliance hearings, the individual's participation in the electronic monitoring program may be terminated, resulting in remand to state custody.