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Committee advances bills expanding line‑of‑duty benefits for officers and firefighters
Summary
The House Appropriations Committee reported two bills by Representative Chasson favorable that would limit extraordinary medical expense recoveries and extend employer-sponsored health coverage in a defined parish for families of officers killed in the line of duty.
The House Appropriations Committee reported two related measures from Representative Chasson favorable as amended, both addressing benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty.
House Bill 203, as amended, limits recovery for each injury through the statutory review process to $50,000 and constrains retroactivity to injuries occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2023. Representative Chasson said she reduced a previous $150,000 cap and narrowed retroactivity to limit fiscal exposure while helping an identified officer with extraordinary medical costs.
House Bill 231 was amended to apply to a parish within a population band matching Lafayette Parish; sponsor testimony said local leaders agreed to assume the ongoing cost locally. Representative Chasson said the measure addresses gaps in family health coverage after an officer is killed in the line of duty and that her local government had agreed to fund the policy for the specified parish retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017 for the named case.
Committee and staff discussion focused on which local entity would pay for extended coverage, and the sponsor agreed to provide local council confirmation for funding prior to taking the bill to the floor. Representative Hughes moved both bills favorably as amended; the committee reported both measures favorable as amended.
