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HLS 26RS-1485 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 981
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCMAKIN
FUNDS/FUNDING: Establishes the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund within
the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:1669, relative to the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive
3 Program; to establish the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund of the Law
4 Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund; to provide for the transfer, deposit, and
5 use, as specified, of monies in the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund;
6 to provide for applicability; to provide for the payment of an incentive stipend; to
7 provide for duties of the state treasurer; to provide an effective date; and to provide
8 for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 40:1669 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1669. Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Program; Law Enforcement
12 Retention Incentive Program
13 A.(1) There is hereby created established in the state treasury, as a special
14 fund, the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund, hereinafter hereafter
15 referred to in this Chapter as the "fund". Monies in the fund shall be used solely for
16 payments made in accordance with the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive
17 Program as provided in this Section.
18 (2) The Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund is hereby established
19 in the state treasury as a subfund in the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive
20 Fund, hereafter referred to in this Section as the "subfund". Monies in the subfund
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1 shall be used solely for payments made pursuant to the provisions of Subsection C
2 of this Section.
3 (3) After allocation of monies to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as
4 provided in Article VII, Section (9)(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, the treasurer
5 shall deposit into the fund or subfund monies transferred, appropriated, or dedicated
6 to the fund or subfund, respectively.
7 B. (4) Monies in the fund and subfund shall be invested in the same manner
8 as monies in the state general fund. Interest earned on investment of monies in the
9 fund and subfund shall be credited to the fund and subfund, respectively. Until the
10 termination of the program programs, unexpended and unencumbered monies in the
11 fund and subfund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund and subfund,
12 respectively.
13 C. B. The Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Program, hereinafter
14 hereafter referred to in this Chapter Subsection as the "program", is hereby
15 established to aid in the recruitment of law enforcement officers within the state.
16 The purpose of the program is to provide one-time incentive payments of five
17 thousand dollars to certain newly employed law enforcement officers in the state.
18 D. (1) For purposes of this Section Subsection, the following terms shall
19 have the following meanings:
20 (1)(a) "Eligible agency" means a sheriff's office, municipal police
21 department, or the office of state police within the Department of Public Safety and
22 Corrections.
23 (2)(b) "Law enforcement officer" means an officer whose permanent duties
24 actually include the making of arrests, the performing of searches and seizures, or
25 the execution of criminal warrants, and who is responsible for the prevention or
26 detection of crime or for the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of
27 this state. "Law enforcement officer" shall not include any elected or appointed head
28 of a law enforcement department.
29 (3)(c) "Municipality" means an incorporated city, town, or village.
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1 (4)(d) "Newly employed officer" means a person who gains or is appointed
2 to full-time employment as a law enforcement officer with a Louisiana eligible
3 agency on or after July 1, 2023, and who has never before been employed as a law
4 enforcement officer in this state.
5 E. (2) To qualify for the incentive payment, a newly employed officer shall
6 meet the following criteria:
7 (1)(a) Attain POST-certification within one year of the date on which
8 employment begins.
9 (2)(b) Maintain continuous full-time employment with an eligible agency for
10 a least two years from the date on which employment begins. The required two-year
11 employment period may be satisfied by maintaining employment at one or more
12 eligible agencies, but such period shall not contain any break in service longer than
13 fifteen calendar days.
14 F.(1)(3)(a) An incentive payment made pursuant to this Section Subsection
15 shall be reimbursed by the officer who received payment to the state treasurer under
16 any of the following circumstances:
17 (a)(i) The officer voluntarily separates from employment with an employing
18 agency prior to completion of two years of employment, as provided in Paragraph
19 (E)(2) of this Section Subparagraph (2)(b) of this Subsection.
20 (b)(ii) The officer has a break in service of more than fifteen days.
21 (c)(iii) The officer is dismissed for cause by the employing agency.
22 (2)(b) The employing agency shall notify the treasurer if an officer who
23 received payment does not meet the required two-year employment period.
24 (3)(c) The treasurer shall send a determination letter to any officer who is
25 required to reimburse an incentive payment pursuant to this Subsection this
26 Paragraph to the officer's last-known mailing address. Reimbursement of the
27 incentive payment shall be made to the treasurer within twelve months of the date
28 on the determination letter.
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1 G.(1)(4)(a) Any request for an incentive payment for a deputy sheriff shall
2 be submitted by the sheriff of the respective parish to the Deputy Sheriff's
3 Supplemental Pay Board for review and approval. The board shall submit the
4 approved request to the state treasurer for payment. The treasurer shall remit
5 payments from the fund for deputy sheriffs to the sheriff's office of the respective
6 parish. The sheriff of each parish shall expend such funds solely for paying the
7 incentive payment.
8 (2)(b) Any request for an incentive payment for a municipal police officer
9 shall be submitted by the chief of police of the respective municipality to the
10 Supplemental Pay Board of Review for Municipal Police Officers for review and
11 approval. The board shall submit the approved request to the state treasurer for
12 payment. The treasurer shall remit payments from the fund for municipal police
13 officers to the police department of the respective municipality. The chief of police
14 of each municipality shall expend such funds solely for paying the incentive
15 payment.
16 (3)(c) Any request for an incentive payment for a law enforcement officer
17 employed by the office of state police shall be submitted pursuant to rules
18 promulgated by the State Police Commission. The treasurer shall remit payments
19 from the fund for the officer to the office of state police. The office of state police
20 shall expend such funds solely for paying the incentive payment.
21 (4)(d) Every request submitted pursuant to this Subsection the provisions of
22 this Paragraph shall include:
23 (a)(i) Certification from the submitting party that the newly employed officer
24 meets the eligibility criteria for receiving the incentive payment.
25 (b)(ii) A form signed by the newly employed officer acknowledging the
26 reimbursement requirements for failure to maintain eligibility.
27 H.(5) Payments shall be made on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt
28 of the approved request of any entity as provided for in Subsection G of this Section
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1 Paragraph (4) of this Subsection. Payments shall cease when all monies in the fund
2 have been expended.
3 I. (6) To the extent necessary, any local civil service system shall promulgate
4 rules for the effective implementation of this Section this Subsection within its
5 jurisdiction.
6 J. (7) The provisions of this Section this Subsection shall terminate on July
7 1, 2027. Upon termination of the program, the treasurer is hereby authorized and
8 directed to transfer any unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund to the
9 state general fund to the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund.
10 C. The Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Program, hereafter referred to
11 in this Subsection as the "program", is hereby established to aid in the retention of
12 law enforcement officers whose permanent duties include the making of arrests, the
13 performing of searches and seizures, the execution of criminal warrants, the
14 prevention or detection of crime, and the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or
15 highway laws of this state while employed by a public postsecondary education
16 institution. The qualifying law enforcement officers shall receive a monthly stipend,
17 payable from the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund, in the same
18 amount as paid to law enforcement officers as provided by R.S. 40:1667.1.
19 (1) To qualify for an incentive payment made pursuant to the provisions of
20 this Subsection, law enforcement officers shall meet the following criteria:
21 (a) Complete one year of employment as a full-time law enforcement officer
22 at a public postsecondary education institution.
23 (b) Attain P.O.S.T. certification within one year from the date on which
24 employment begins.
25 (2) The monthly stipends provided pursuant to this Subsection shall be
26 disbursed upon the warrant by a public postsecondary education institution drawn
27 on the state treasury. The warrant shall be approved and certified by the chief of
28 police of a public postsecondary education institution. The warrant shall have
29 attached to it the names of the employees for whose benefit any particular warrant
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1 is drawn, together with the completed years of service of the employees and any
2 other information as required by the state treasurer.
3 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
4 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
5 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
6 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
7 effective on the day following such approval.
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 981 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session McMakin
Abstract: Establishes the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Program.
Present law establishes the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Program to aid in the
recruitment of law enforcement officers in the state. Establishes the Law Enforcement
Recruitment Incentive Fund to fund the program. Provides for the termination of the
program on July 1, 2027, and requires the state treasurer to transfer the remaining balance
of the fund to the state general fund. Proposed law requires the state treasurer to transfer the
remaining balance of the fund to the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund, as
created in proposed law.
Proposed law establishes the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Program to aid in the
retention of law enforcement officers employed by a public postsecondary education
institution. Establishes the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund within the Law
Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund to fund the program. Provides for a monthly
stipend to be paid from the subfund in the same amount as paid to law enforcement officers
as provided by R.S. 40:1667.1 (supplemental pay to municipal law enforcement officers).
Proposed law requires law enforcement officers to complete one year of employment as a
full-time law enforcement officer at a public postsecondary education institution and attain
P.O.S.T. certification within one year from the date on which employment begins to qualify
for the monthly stipend.
Proposed law requires the monthly stipend to be paid upon a warrant by a public
postsecondary education institution drawn on the state treasury. Requires the warrant to be
approved and certified by the chief of police of a public postsecondary education institution.
Provides for other information that may be required by the state treasurer.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 40:1669)
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Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to the
original bill:
1. Restore the termination date of the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive
Program as provided in present law.
2. Establish the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Program to aid in the
retention of law enforcement officers employed at public postsecondary
education institutions and provides for the amount and payment of monthly
stipends to such officers.
3. Provide for qualifications of law enforcement officers eligible for the stipends.
4. Establish the Law Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund within the Law
Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund and for use of the monies in the
subfund.
5. Require the state treasurer to transfer any remaining balance in the Law
Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund on July 1, 2027, to the Law
Enforcement Retention Incentive Subfund.
6. Make technical changes.
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