HB12 • 2026

LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Extends surviving spouse benefits for a reserve officer killed in the line of duty (EN +$250,000 GF EX See Note)

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Debbie Villio
Last action: 2026-06-02
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 608
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the financial amount of the benefits, only that they are provided under Paragraph (C)(1) of Section 1665.2.

Surviving Spouse Benefits for Reserve Officers

This act extends surviving spouse benefits to the families of reserve and auxiliary police officers who die while on duty or traveling to work using a law enforcement vehicle.

What This Bill Does

Extends survival benefits to the spouses of reserve and auxiliary police officers killed in the line of duty.
Requires payment of these benefits if a reserve officer dies while responding to an emergency or traveling between home and work using a law enforcement vehicle.

Who It Names or Affects

Surviving spouses of reserve and auxiliary police officers who die in the line of duty.
Law enforcement agencies that employ reserve or auxiliary officers.

Terms To Know

Reserve Officer: A volunteer or part-time law enforcement officer who assists full-time police officers during emergencies and special events.
Auxiliary Officer: Similar to a reserve officer, an auxiliary officer is someone who provides support to regular police forces but may have different duties depending on the agency.

Limits and Unknowns

The act only applies to surviving spouses of reserve and auxiliary officers killed in specific circumstances.
It does not extend benefits to other family members or non-law enforcement personnel.

Bill History

2026-06-02 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-06-02 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 608.
2026-05-27 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-27 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-26 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-26 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-25 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-20 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-19 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-18 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-28 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
2026-04-27 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-27 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 102, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-23 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/27/2026.
2026-04-22 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-21 H
Reported favorably (15-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
2026-01-23 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 1/23/2026.
2026-01-16 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
2026-01-16 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Extends surviving spouse benefits for a reserve officer killed in the line of duty (EN +$250,000 GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 6082026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 12
BY REPRESENTATIVES VILLIO, ADAMS, BACALA, BOUDREAUX, BRAUD,
BUTLER, WILFORD CARTER, CHASSION, DEWITT, DICKERSON,
DOMANGUE, ECHOLS, FISHER, FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GREEN, HILFERTY,
HORTON, ILLG, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON, KNOX, LACOMBE,
MARCELLE, MARTINEZ, MURRAY, PHELPS, SCHLEGEL, TAYLOR, WILEY,
AND WYBLE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:1665.2(F), to provide for survival benefits for reserve and
3 auxiliary law enforcement officers; to provide for payment of surviving spouse
4 benefits for reserve and auxiliary law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty;
5 and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 40:1665.2(F) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 SUBPART A-1. PAYMENT TO SURVIVING SPOUSE
9 AND CHILDREN
10 §1665.2. Financial security for surviving spouses and children of law enforcement
11 officers in certain cases
12 * * *
13 F. In addition to the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, the surviving
14 spouse or child of a law enforcement officer who is a commissioned law
15 enforcement officer and who is certified by the Council on Peace Officers Officer
16 Standards and Training or is a reserve or auxiliary law enforcement officer at the
17 time of his death shall be entitled to the payments provided for in Paragraph (C)(1)
18 of this Section, if either of the following occur:
19 (1) The officer was traveling to or from a public safety emergency or was
20 responding to a request for law enforcement assistance regarding the health, safety,
21 or welfare of the public.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 12 ENROLLED
1 (2) The officer was traveling to or from his residence and his authorized
2 work area while using a law enforcement vehicle provided by his employing agency.
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.