2021 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
Title 40 - Public Health and Safety
§1665.2. Financial security for surviving spouses and children of law enforcement officers in certain cases

RS 1665.2 - Financial security for surviving spouses and children of law enforcement officers in certain cases

A. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state, under its police power, to provide for the financial security of surviving spouses and dependent children of law enforcement officers where such officers suffer death as a result of any injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of his official duties as such officer, or arising out of any activity, while on or off duty, in the protection of life or property.

B. Law enforcement officers, within the meaning of this Section, shall include the following:

(1) All sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in the state employed on a full time basis.

(2) All members of the state police thus employed including any cadet participating in the Louisiana State Police Training Academy on or after July 1, 2018, when the cadet has been assigned and is performing police duties or training, even though the cadet has not been commissioned as an enforcement agent.

(3) All municipal police officers employed on a full-time basis.

(4) All enforcement personnel of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission including any cadet participating in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Training Academy on or after July 1, 2018, when the cadet has been assigned and is performing wildlife enforcement duties or training, even though the cadet has not been commissioned as an enforcement agent.

(5) All state probation and parole officers, including juvenile probation and parole officers.

(6) All security personnel and cottage parents working at state adult and juvenile correctional institutions.

(7) Any police cadet of a political subdivision, as defined in Article VI, Section 44 of the Constitution of Louisiana of 1974, when such cadet has been assigned and is performing police duties, even though said cadet has not been commissioned as a police officer therein.

(8) All correctional officers and cottage parents employed at any facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

(9) All members of the Capitol Police.

(10) All reserve or auxiliary law enforcement officers. For the purposes of this Paragraph, a reserve or auxiliary law enforcement officer shall be defined as a volunteer, non-regular, sworn member of a law enforcement agency who serves with or without compensation and has regular police powers while functioning as an agency's representative, and who participates on a regular basis in agency activities including, but not limited to those pertaining to crime prevention or control, and the preservation of the peace and enforcement of the law.

(11) All full-time harbor police of any port, harbor and/or terminal district of this state.

(12) All members of the Louisiana National Guard who are killed in the line of duty while on active state duty with the National Guard providing assistance during a period of civil disturbance or natural disaster or imminent danger thereof.

(13) Commissioned Security officers of the Department of Public Safety.

(14) All commissioned state park wardens.

(15) All investigators of the investigation division of the Louisiana Department of Justice and the Elections Compliance Unit of the Louisiana Department of State.

(16) All city marshals and city constables and their deputies and all constables of justice of the peace courts and their deputies.

(17) Federal law enforcement officers or employees whose permanent duties include making arrests, performing searches and seizures, executing criminal arrest warrants, and executing civil seizure warrants.

(18) University and college police officers at state universities and colleges.

(19) Personnel who are employed as police officers by educational institutions which are members of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

(20) On and after January 1, 2011, all state employees conducting investigations, serving subpoenas, warrants, pleadings, or other orders of the court, or collecting evidence concerning the affairs of a person upon a reasonable belief that the person has engaged in, or is engaging in, an act or practice that violates state law.

(21) All full-time tribal law enforcement officers regularly employed by a federally or state-recognized Indian tribe or tribal unit.

(22) All enforcement and emergency services personnel of the office of the state fire marshal.

C.(1) In any case in which a law enforcement officer suffers death as a result of any injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of his official duties as such officer, or arising out of any activity, while on or off duty, in his capacity as a law enforcement officer, in the protection of life or property, the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars shall be paid to the surviving spouse of each officer or, if not survived by a spouse, the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars shall be paid to the surviving child or children or, if not survived by a spouse nor a child or children, then the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars shall be paid to the named beneficiary listed on the officer's beneficiary designation form or, if there is no designation form at the time of the officer's death, and no surviving spouse nor a child or children, then the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars shall be paid to the officer's estate. Each officer shall complete a beneficiary designation form. In addition, if the officer is survived by a dependent child or children, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars shall be paid for each of the dependent children, such sums to be paid to the duly appointed and qualified tutor or the legal representative of the child or children. Payment shall be made by the state risk manager out of the Self-Insurance Fund created in R.S. 39:1533(A).

(2) In order to facilitate the operation of this Section, within one year after the employing authority has knowledge of the death of a law enforcement officer under circumstances covered by this Section or under circumstances believed by the employing authority or by the surviving spouse or the legal representative of an eligible surviving child or children to be covered by the provisions of this Section, he shall notify the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board of the death, the date thereof, and the circumstances surrounding the death, and shall furnish such other information as may be requested by the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board.

(3) If, at the time of his death, the officer is not married to the other natural parent of any minor child or children who are entitled to receive a payment pursuant to this Section, the payment shall be made to any person designated as a trustee by the officer on a form provided by his employer.

(4) The provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection apply to a law enforcement officer identified in Paragraph (B)(17) of this Section only if the injury was sustained in Louisiana while the officer was participating in the enforcement of Louisiana laws.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 49:112 or of any other law to the contrary, any person or persons who were entitled to claim benefits under the provisions of Article XIV, Section 15.2, of the Constitution of Louisiana of 19211, for a surviving spouse and dependent children of a law enforcement officer, who suffered death from physical violence while engaged in the direct apprehension of a person during the course of the performance of his duties, may assert such claim according to the procedures provided by this Section1 but according to the factual criteria required and limited to the amount of the benefits provided for such survivors under said Article XIV, Section 15.2, at the time of the officer's death.

E. Honorary law enforcement officers shall not be considered or interpreted to be law enforcement officers under this Section.

F. In addition to the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, the surviving spouse or child of a law enforcement officer who is a commissioned law enforcement officer and who is certified by the Council on Peace Officers Standards and Training at the time of his death shall be entitled to the payments provided for in Paragraph (C)(1) of this Section, if either of the following occur:

(1) The officer was traveling to or from a public safety emergency or was responding to a request for law enforcement assistance regarding the health, safety, or welfare of the public.

(2) The officer was traveling to or from his residence and his authorized work area while using a law enforcement vehicle provided by his employing agency.

G.(1) The employer of a law enforcement officer who suffers death as a result of any injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of his official duties as an officer, or arising out of any activity while on or off duty in his capacity as a law enforcement officer in the protection of life or property shall provide and pay for health insurance coverage for the law enforcement officer's surviving spouse for two years following the death of the law enforcement officer.

(2)(a) The employer of a law enforcement officer who suffers death as a result of any injury arising out of and in the course of the performance of his official duties as an officer, or arising out of any activity while on or off duty in his capacity as a law enforcement officer in the protection of life or property shall provide and pay for health insurance coverage for the law enforcement officer's child, stepchild, or adopted child who is either:

(i) Under the age of eighteen.

(ii) Under the age of twenty-three and enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary school or is a full-time student at an accredited college or university.

(iii) Physically or mentally disabled.

(b) The employer shall provide and pay for the health insurance provided pursuant to this Paragraph for two years following the death of the law enforcement officer or until the child no longer meets the qualifications provided in this Paragraph, whichever comes first.

(3) If health insurance coverage is offered by the employer to active members, the health insurance provided to a surviving spouse or child pursuant to this Subsection shall be equal in coverage to that offered to active members.

(4)(a) The surviving spouse shall have the option to decline the health insurance coverage provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.

(b) The surviving parent or legal guardian of each child, stepchild, or adopted child of the deceased law enforcement officer shall have the option to decline the health insurance coverage provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection for the child.

Added by Acts 1975, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 26, §1, eff. Feb. 20, 1975. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 448, §1; Acts 1975, No. 806, §1; Acts 1976, No. 532, §1; Acts 1976, No. 666, §1; Acts 1979, No. 382, §1; Acts 1979, No. 418, §1; Acts 1980, No. 638, §1; Acts 1981, No. 377, §1; Acts 1982, No. 507, §1, eff. July 22, 1982; Acts 1982, No. 595, §1, eff. July 22, 1982; Acts 1983, No. 206, §1; Acts 1988, No. 595, §1, eff. July 14, 1988; Acts 1989, No. 308, §§1, 3; Acts 1992, No. 88, §1; Acts 1992, No. 175, §1; Acts 1993, No. 422, §1; Acts 1995, No. 852, §1; Acts 1999, No. 288, §1; Acts 1999, No. 623, §1, eff. June 30, 1999; Acts 2004, No. 816, §1; Acts 2005, No. 35, §1; Acts 2005, No. 321, §1; Acts 2005, No. 407, §1; Acts 2006, No. 480, §1; Acts 2008, No. 475, §1, eff. June 25, 2008; Acts 2011, No. 157, §1, eff. June 24, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 280, §1, eff. May 25, 2012; Acts 2012, No. 866, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; Acts 2013, No. 238, §1; Acts 2014, No. 246, §1; Redesignated to R.S. 40:1665.2. See Acts 2014, No. 158, §§3 and 7; Acts 2018, No. 558, §1; Acts 2018, No. 617, §2, eff. May 30, 2018; Acts 2019, No. 378, §1.

1As appears in enrolled bill.

NOTE: See Acts 1999, No. 1021 relative to a suspension of the prescriptive period for a minor to establish filiation for the purpose of survivor benefits.

NOTE: See Acts 2006, No. 480, §2, relative to retroactive and prospective application.

NOTE: See Acts 2012, No. 280, §3 regarding retroactive effect of Subsection F as enacted by the Act.