Louisiana (NBC33) — State lawmakers are dipping into an $8 million fund, called the Mega-Project Development Fund, to expand business in Lafayette and Monroe.

A group that oversees emergency medicine services for hospitals is getting $5 million of that; a telecommunications company is getting the other $3 million.

To keep the cash, the two companies have to meet certain standards, and the move brings more than a thousand jobs to Lafayette and Monroe over the next five years.