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Committee passes bill allowing injured officers to seek extraordinary medical and dental aid from survivors fund
Summary
House Appropriations reported HB 145 favorable, letting injured fire and law enforcement officers apply to the Law Enforcement Survivors Review Benefit Board for extraordinary medical and dental expenses not covered by workers’ compensation; members discussed retroactivity, program scope and municipal exposure.
On April 7, 2026, the House Appropriations Committee reported House Bill 145 favorable. Sponsored by Representative Chasson, the bill would permit injured law enforcement officers and firefighters to apply to the Law Enforcement Survivors Review Benefit Board for extraordinary medical and dental expenses that fall outside workers’ compensation coverage.
Chasson said the measure had passed the committee last year but did not reach the Senate Finance Committee before session ended. He cited a recent case in his district in which an officer who was partially paralyzed pursued alternative treatments such as acupuncture and regained the ability to walk; Chasson described the bill as a means to let the review board consider similar extraordinary requests.
Committee members pressed for clarity on retroactivity and exposure to municipalities. Paulette Bailey Wilson of the Louisiana Municipal Association said she came to provide information only and described municipal risk concerns, noting workers’ compensation typically covers ordinary and extraordinary medical expenses and asking for more detail about how the new process would work. Chasson said awards are not automatic — the review board makes determinations and the bill includes a $50,000 cap per instance and an existing annual allocation into the fund; he said the board could still deny claims that should properly be covered by other means.
The committee voted to report the bill favorable. Members requested follow‑up information on funding sources, the definition of “extraordinary” expenses, and whether the measure creates obligations for local governments.
Why it matters: The bill would allow living injured officers to seek benefits from a board that has historically served surviving families and fallen officers, widening access to the fund’s existing allocation and prompting questions from municipal risk managers about scope and retroactivity.
The committee recorded the bill as reported favorable and said staff would work to clarify statutory definitions before floor consideration.
