LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Extends health insurance coverage for the families of law enforcement officers and firemen killed in the line of duty (EG INCREASE LF EX See Note)
HB 231 extends health insurance coverage to surviving spouses and children of law enforcement officers (and firemen, as referenced in the title) who die while on duty. It requires employers to provide lifetime health insurance for surviving spouses and coverage for children until age 23 (if in school) or permanently disabled, matching the level offered to active officers. The law applies only to parishes with 240,000-255,000 residents (based on census data) and includes retroactive coverage for benefits starting January 1, 2017. This policy change directly affects families of deceased officers/firemen in qualifying parishes, ensuring ongoing health benefits without requiring family consent.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Apr 1, 2025
Last action Jun 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
HB231 Original
→
HB231 Engrossed
·
5 edits
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Jun 4, 2025
MODERATE
This bill expands financial security for families of first responders by creating new laws for firemen and updating existing laws for law enforcement officers. It ensures surviving spouses and children of fallen firemen receive lifetime health insurance coverage, matching the protections previously available to law enforcement families. The legislation also clarifies eligibility criteria for children and mandates that coverage provided to survivors must be equal to that offered to active employees.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from covering only law enforcement officers to explicitly including firemen, while simultaneously updating the specific statutory sections governing these benefits.
SCOPE
Added a new section (R.S. 40:1665(D)) to provide lifetime health insurance coverage for the surviving spouses and children of firemen killed in the line of duty.
REQUIREMENT
Updated the law for law enforcement officers to change the surviving spouse's health insurance coverage from a fixed two-year period to lifetime coverage.
Required that health insurance provided to surviving spouses and children must be equal in coverage to that offered to active members of the department.
ELIGIBILITY
Defined specific eligibility criteria for children to receive benefits, including age limits, student status, or physical/mental disability.
TIMELINE
Established a retroactive effective date of January 1, 2017, for the payment of health insurance benefits to eligible families.
Floor votes · House Jun 4, 2025
How they voted
95–0
Passed · 10 other
Total votes 105
Jun 4, 2025
D
Democratic32
87% Yea
R
Republican73
91% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
8
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Jun 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Jun 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (17-0).
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Tehmi Chassion
DDemocratic
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