CHAPTER I: General principles

As part of their social actions, which notably concern food, hygiene, clothing and transport, and the educational, cultural, sports or leisure activities they carry out, local authorities, public establishments for inter-communal cooperation, communal and inter-communal centres for social action and school funds can issue people experiencing social difficulties with vouchers known as "personalised support vouchers" to acquire goods and services in the categories defined by the local authority or public establishment.

People to whom personalised support vouchers are issued may purchase the goods, products or services specified on the voucher from a network of service providers, up to the amount shown on its face value, excluding any total or partial reimbursement in cash.

The face values are adjusted to enable distributors to take account of the different economic and social situations of beneficiaries.

Special payment vouchers known as "personalised support vouchers" are transferred to distributors by the issuers against payment of their discharge value and, where applicable, a commission. Any issuer of these special payment vouchers must open an account with a credit institution or an organisation or service referred to in article L. 518-1 of the Monetary and Financial Code, entitled "compte de chèques d'accompagnement personnalisé", and make a prior declaration to a specialised commission.

These vouchers are valid for a period limited to the calendar year and the period of use they mention.

Personalised support vouchers that have not been presented for reimbursement to the issuer by the service providers before the end of the second month following the expiry of their period of validity are definitively expired.

A decree in the Conseil d'Etat sets out the terms and conditions for the application of this article. In particular, it shall determine:

- the security features and compulsory information appearing on the personalised support voucher;

- the conditions for using and reimbursing personalised support vouchers;

- the procedures for recording these special payment vouchers in the accounts of public services and bodies;

- the procedures for organising and monitoring the system between the various partners.

The local authorities and their public establishments mentioned in the first paragraph may entrust a public or private agent, under conditions defined by an agreement, with the payment, in their name and on their behalf, of personalised support vouchers to beneficiaries they have previously determined.

The agreement shall stipulate, on pain of nullity, the content of the principal obligations of the principal and the agent, as well as the general terms and conditions for the performance and termination of the agreement.

The public agency contract shall be concluded for valuable consideration following an award procedure that complies with the provisions of the preliminary title and the second part of the public procurement code.