HB 145

ENROLLED
 2026 Regular Session
  ACT No. 621
 HOUSE BILL NO. 145
 BY REPRESENTATIVE CHASSION
1AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact the heading of Chapter 7-C of Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised
3Statutes of 1950 and to enact R.S. 39:1533(A)(3) and R.S. 40:1668.1, relative to the
4Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board; to provide
5for the payment of extraordinary medical and dental expenses of firemen and law
6enforcement officers injured in the course and scope of employment; to provide for
7the duties and powers of the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor
8Benefit Review Board; to provide for definitions; to provide for the duties and
9powers of the state risk director; to authorize the promulgation of rules; to provide
10for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12Section 1. R.S. 39:1533(A)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13§1533. Self-Insurance Fund
14A.
15*       *  *
16(3)   Payment for extraordinary medical and dental expenses for law
17enforcement officers and firemen as provided for in R.S. 40:1668.1 shall be made by
18the office of risk management on behalf of the Law Enforcement Officers and
19Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board as a result of a specific appropriation
20received for that purpose.
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 HB NO. 145  ENROLLED
1Section 2. The heading of Chapter 7-C of Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
2 of 1950 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 40:1668.1 is hereby enacted to read as
3 follows:
4CHAPTER 7-C.  FIREMEN AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS -
5 DISABILITY BENEFITS - EXTRAORDINARY MEDICAL AND DENTAL EXPENSES
6*       *  *
7§1668.1. Payment for extraordinary medical and dental expenses for firemen and
8law enforcement officers
9A. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state, under its police
10power, to provide for certain extraordinary medical and dental expenses for firemen
11and law enforcement officers determined to be injured as the direct and proximate
12result of an injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of their official
13duties.
14B.    As used in this Section, the following words have the following
15meanings:
16(1) "Board" means the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor
17Benefit Review Board created and provided for in R.S. 40:1665.3.
18(2) "Extraordinary medical and dental expenses" means any of the following:
19(a) Medical expenses of the injured employee not covered by workers'
20compensation coverage or by the health insurance plan provided by the employer.
21(b) Dental expenses of the injured employee not covered by workers'
22compensation coverage or by the health insurance plan provided by the employer.
23(3) "Law enforcement officer" includes the following:
24(a) All sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in the state employed on a full-time basis.
25(b) All members of the state police employed on a full-time basis.
26(c) All municipal police officers in the state employed on a full-time basis.
27(d) All university and college police officers at state universities and colleges
28employed on a full-time basis.
29(4)   "Officer" includes firemen as defined in R.S. 40:1665 and law
30enforcement officers as defined in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.
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 HB NO. 145  ENROLLED
1C. In any case in which an officer is injured as the direct and proximate
2result of an injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of their official
3duties, the state risk director shall pay, as provided by R.S. 39:1533(A)(3), on behalf
4of the officer any extraordinary medical and dental expenses incurred as determined
5by the board.
6D.(1) The board shall hear and decide by unanimous vote all claims for
7extraordinary medical and dental expenses within sixty days after documentation is
8received. The board may request any information necessary to make a determination
9of eligibility for the payment of such expenses.
10(2) Within ten days after the board has reached its decision, it shall send
11notice of its decision to the officer by certified mail. If the board denies the claim,
12the officer shall have one year from the date of denial to file suit against the state
13through the board in the parish where the incident that brought about the injury
14occurred. The date of denial shall be calculated as one year from the date of receipt
15of the decision from the board.
16E. If the board determines the officer qualifies for the benefit payable under
17this Section, the board shall notify the state risk director.
18F. The maximum benefit payable shall be twenty-five thousand dollars per
19injury per officer.
20G. No benefit shall be payable pursuant to this Section if any of the
21following applies:
22(1) The injury was caused by the intentional misconduct of the officer or by
23the officer's intention to bring about his death, disability, or injury.
24(2) The officer was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of his injury.
25(3) The officer was performing his duties in a grossly negligent manner at
26the time of his injury.
27H. The board may adopt rules and regulations to implement the provisions
28of this Section.
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HB NO. 145  ENROLLED
1I. The provisions of this Section shall be applicable to extraordinary medical
2or dental expenses incurred due to an injury arising out of and in the course of the
3performance of an officer's duties on or after January 1, 2023.
4Section 3. This Act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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