HB71 • 2026

LIABILITY/CIVIL: Adds armed security officer as an authorized person subject to a limitation of liability under certain circumstances

Firearms

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Josh Carlson
Last action: 2026-05-29
Official status: Adopted in House concurrence
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the exact nature or extent of the required training for armed security officers.

Adding Armed Security Officers to Liability Protections

This bill adds armed security officers as authorized persons for carrying concealed handguns and limits their liability if they use force in self-defense against someone with a dangerous weapon.

What This Bill Does

Adds armed security officers as authorized persons who can carry concealed handguns under certain conditions.
Protects armed security officers from being sued if they use force in self-defense when the perpetrator is wielding a dangerous weapon.

Who It Names or Affects

Armed security officers who carry concealed weapons
People or organizations that hire armed security officers

Terms To Know

Authorized person: A person allowed to carry a concealed handgun and use force in self-defense under certain conditions.
Dangerous weapon: An object that can be used to cause serious harm or death, as defined by Louisiana law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if an armed security officer uses force outside of self-defense.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing laws about liability and use of force.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Summary of Senate Amendments to HB71

Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB71 limits the protection from liability for armed security officers to situations where a perpetrator is using a dangerous weapon when injured by an officer.

Adds that an armed security officer can only be protected from liability if the person they injure is wielding a dangerous weapon at the time of injury.

The amendment text does not specify what constitutes a 'dangerous weapon' or provide further details on how this limitation will be enforced.

House Vote on HB 71 CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1660)

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds armed security officers to a list of people who are protected from certain types of legal responsibility when they act in specific situations.

Adds armed security officers as authorized persons under the limitation of liability rules.

The exact circumstances and limitations for this protection are not detailed in the provided amendment text, making it unclear how these protections would apply in practice.

Senate Committee Amendment #4059 JUDA Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds an armed security officer to a list of authorized persons who are protected from liability if they use force in self-defense against someone with a dangerous weapon.

Adds language that includes armed security officers as authorized persons under certain conditions.
Specifies that armed security officers can be exempt from liability for injuries or deaths caused by justified use of force, provided the perpetrator is wielding a dangerous weapon.

The amendment text does not specify all details about when and how this protection applies in other situations beyond those described.

Senate Committee Amendment #4036 JUDA Draft

Draft

Adds language that includes armed security officers as authorized persons under certain conditions.
Specifies that an armed security officer is not liable for injuries or deaths caused by justified use of force, provided the perpetrator was wielding a dangerous weapon.

The amendment text does not provide details on what constitutes 'justified use of force' or how liability limitations will be applied in specific scenarios.
It is unclear from the given text how this change affects existing laws and regulations regarding armed security officers.

Bill History

2026-05-29 H
Read by title, roll called, yeas 73, nays 24, Senate amendments concurred in.
2026-05-27 H
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
2026-05-26 H
Received from the Senate with amendments.
2026-05-26 S
Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 10 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-21 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-20 S
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-19 S
Reported with amendments.
2026-04-21 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.
2026-04-20 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-20 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 70, nays 28. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-15 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/20/2026.
2026-04-14 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-13 H
Reported favorably (7-1).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.
2026-02-06 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/6/2026.
2026-02-03 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.
2026-02-03 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

LIABILITY/CIVIL: Adds armed security officer as an authorized person subject to a limitation of liability under certain circumstances

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 71
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARLSON
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 9:2793.12(B) and to enact R.S. 9:2793.12(A)(3), relative to
3 liability of persons authorized to carry a concealed handgun; to provide that armed
4 security officers are authorized persons; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 9:2793.12(B) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
7 9:2793.12(A)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §2793.12. Limitation of liability; concealed handgun permit; definitions; exceptions
9 A.
10 * * *
11 (3) The term "authorized person" shall also apply to any armed security
12 officer as defined by R.S. 37:3272(A)(2) who has completed the training
13 requirements provided by R.S. 37:3284(B)(2) and who has been issued an armed
14 registration card by the Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners.
15 B. An authorized person as defined in this Section shall not be liable for
16 damages for any injury, death, or loss suffered by a perpetrator when the injury,
17 death, or loss is caused by a justified use of force or self-defense through the
18 discharge of a firearm by the authorized person. An armed security officer is entitled
19 to the limitation of liability provided for in this Section only if the perpetrator is
20 wielding a dangerous weapon as defined in R.S. 14:2 at the time the armed security
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 71 ENROLLED
1 officer injures the perpetrator. This provision shall preclude any right of action by
2 the perpetrator, his survivors, or his heirs.
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.