LABOR: Enacts the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act

HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 585
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHASSION
LABOR: Enacts the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 23:271 through 276, relative to workplace violence; to enact the
4 Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act; to provide for a short title;
5 to provide for legislative findings; to require workforce safety plans; to prohibit
6 retaliatory actions; to provide definitions; to provide for civil remedies; and to
7 provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
10 comprised of R.S. 23:271 through 276, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 PART III. DISCOUNT RETAILER WORKFORCE SAFETY AND RETENTION ACT
12 §271. Short title
13 This Part shall be known and may be cited as the "Discount Retailer
14 Workforce Safety and Retention Act".
15 §272. Legislative findings
16 The legislature hereby finds and declares that violence against small box
17 discount retail workforce is a growing problem in this state. This workforce is
18 experiencing disproportionate levels of unsafe conditions from verbal harassment to
19 physical violence. Since small box discount retail stores offer essential necessities
20 to the public, this violence is also a threat to public health and safety. The legislature
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HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 585
1 strongly encourages small box discount retail employers to take necessary
2 responsibilities in ensuring the health and safety of their employees and this essential
3 workforce by conducting risk assessments of their workplaces, providing safety
4 plans for their stores, and implementing safety solutions when necessary.
5 §273. Definitions
6 For the purpose of this Part, the following terms have the meanings ascribed
7 to them:
8 (1) "Employee" means an individual employed by an employer.
9 (2)(a) "Employer" means a person, association, legal or commercial entity,
10 limited liability corporation, holding company, parent company, or corporate group
11 receiving services from an employee, and, in return, giving compensation of any
12 kind to an employee.
13 (b) "Employer" does not include an employer who employs fewer than
14 fifteen employees within this state for each working day for twenty or more calendar
15 weeks in the current or preceding calendar year.
16 (3)(a) "Small box discount store" means a business that has a floor area of
17 five thousand to ten thousand square feet, which sells retail physical goods, products,
18 or merchandise directly to the consumer, including food or beverages for
19 off-premises consumption, household products, personal grooming and health
20 products, and other consumer goods, with the majority of items being offered for sale
21 at lower than the typical market price.
22 (b) Small box discount stores does not include any of the following:
23 (i) Businesses that dedicate at least fifteen percent of floor area to fresh
24 foods and vegetables.
25 (ii) Businesses that contain a prescription pharmacy.
26 (iii) Businesses that sell gasoline or diesel fuel.
27 (iv) Businesses that contain a majority of goods that serve the purpose of
28 home improvement or construction.
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HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 585
1 (4) "Workplace violence" means any of the following acts that occur against,
2 or in front of, an employee during the employee's work hours or during the scope of
3 the employee's employment:
4 (a) The commission of a robbery.
5 (b) An incident involving the threat or use of a firearm or other dangerous
6 weapon capable of significant physical harm, regardless of whether the employee
7 sustains an injury.
8 (c) Any other violent act, including crimes of violence as defined in R.S.
9 14:2(B).
10 §274. Workplace violence; evaluation; plans
11 A. Each small box discount retail employer shall evaluate the workplace to
12 determine the presence of factors or situations, if any, in the workplace that might
13 place employees at risk of workplace violence. Examples of factors or situations
14 may include but are not limited to:
15 (1) Working late night or early morning shifts.
16 (2) Exchanging money with the public.
17 (3) Working alone or in small numbers.
18 (4) Uncontrolled access to the workplace.
19 (5) Instances of violence in the local vicinity of the workplace.
20 B. Each small box discount retail employer shall develop and implement, or
21 provide a timeline no longer than six months to implement, a written workforce
22 safety plan. The workforce safety plan shall include instructions for all of the
23 following:
24 (1) Making high-risk areas more visible to more people.
25 (2) Installing external lighting.
26 (3) Using drop safes or other methods to minimize cash on hand.
27 (4) Posting signs stating that limited cash is on hand.
28 (5) Establishing and implementing reporting systems for incidents of
29 workplace violence.
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HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 585
1 C.(1) Each small box discount retail employer shall make a written
2 workplace risk evaluation and workplace violence prevention program available
3 upon request to employees, their designated representatives, the secretary of
4 Louisiana Works, and the public.
5 (2) New hires shall be provided a copy of the written program upon hire.
6 (3) Employers may provide one evaluation and plan applicable to all
7 workplaces or work sites.
8 D. Each small box discount retail employer shall document each incident of
9 workplace violence and shall maintain a copy of each incident. Each employer shall
10 review the number and scope of workplace incidents annually and make changes to
11 the risk factors as necessary and appropriate.
12 E. If a small box discount retail employer has experienced two or more
13 violent incidents at an individual workplace location within a year, the small box
14 discount retailer employer shall do all of the following:
15 (1) Install panic buttons easily accessible throughout the workplace.
16 (2) Reassess and increase staffing levels during high-risk times if the violent
17 incident occurred while the impacted employee was working alone. Increased
18 staffing may include an employee whose sole purpose is to ensure workforce safety
19 at the work site.
20 §275. Retaliation prohibited
21 A. No small box discount retailer employer shall prohibit an employee from,
22 or take punitive or retaliatory action against an employee for, seeking assistance and
23 intervention from local emergency services or law enforcement when a workplace
24 violence incident occurs.
25 B. No small box discount retailer employer shall take any retaliatory action
26 against an employee who, in good faith, reports an allegation of or an instance of
27 workplace violence.
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HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 585
1 §276. Civil remedy
2 A. An employee shall have a civil right of action for damages, including
3 reasonable attorney fees, and may bring an action against an employer within one
4 year of the violation of the provisions of this Chapter.
5 B. A civil action may be instituted in the judicial district court in the parish
6 where the employee is domiciled, the parish where the workplace violence incident
7 occurred, or the parish of proper venue pursuant to the general rules of venue as set
8 forth in Code of Civil Procedure Article 42.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 585 Original 2026 Regular Session Chassion
Abstract: Enacts the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act, which
addresses workplace violence in small box discount retail stores.
Proposed law provides that proposed law shall be known and may be cited as the "Discount
Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act".
Proposed law provides for legislative findings.
Proposed law defines "employee", "employer", "small box discount store", "workplace
violence".
Proposed law requires each small box discount retail employer to evaluate the workplace to
determine the presence of any factors or situations in the workplace that might place
employees at risk of workplace violence.
Proposed law provides that examples of factors or situations may, include but are not limited
to:
(1) Working late night or early morning shifts.
(2) Exchanging money with the public.
(3) Working alone or in small numbers.
(4) Uncontrolled access to the workplace.
(5) Instances of violence in the local vicinity of the workplace.
Proposed law requires every small box discount retail employer to develop and implement,
or provide a timeline no longer than six months to implement, a written workforce safety
plan. Proposed law further requires the workforce safety plan to include instructions for all
of the following:
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HLS 26RS-1274 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 585
(1) Making high-risk areas more visible to more people.
(2) Installing external lighting.
(3) Using drop safes or other methods to minimize cash on hand.
(4) Posting signs stating that limited cash is on hand.
(5) Establishing and implementing reporting systems for incidents of workplace
violence.
Proposed law requires every small box discount retailer employer to make a written
workplace risk evaluation and workplace violence prevention program available upon
request to employees, their designated representatives, the secretary of La. Works, and the
public. Proposed law further requires the employer to provide a copy of the written program
to new hires.
Proposed law requires every small box discount retailer employer to document each incident
of workplace violence and maintain a copy of each incident. Proposed law further requires
the employer to review the number and scope of workplace incidents annually and make
changes to the risk factors as necessary and appropriate.
Proposed law provides that if a small box discount retailer employer has experienced two
or more violent incidents at an individual workplace location within a year, the small box
discount retailer employer shall do all of the following:
(1) Install panic buttons easily accessible throughout the workplace.
(2) Reassess and increase staffing levels during high-risk times if the violent incident
occurred while the impacted employee was working alone.
Proposed law prohibits a small box discount retailer employer from preventing an employee
from seeking assistance and intervention from local emergency services or law enforcement
when a workplace violence incident occurs.
Proposed law prohibits a small box discount retailer employer from taking any retaliatory
action against an employee who, in good faith, reports an allegation of or an instance of
workplace violence.
Proposed law provides civil remedy and recourse for an employee affected by a violation of
proposed law.
(Adds R.S. 23:271- 276)
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