Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateLouisianaEnacted
HB 979: LAW ENFORCE/OFFICERS: Increases the benefit paid to survivors of law enforcement officers and firemen (EN +$800,000 GF EX See Note)
Jeff Wiley
HB 979 status: Enacted — Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 909 (updated Jun 12, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
63OUT OF 100
Score:63/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality100%
Bipartisan95%
Public opinion90%
Bill summary
What changes
The state has enacted legislation to increase the financial benefit provided to the families of police officers and firefighters who die in the line of duty.
Who is affected
Surviving family members of fallen Louisiana law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Requirements and enforcement
The legislation mandates the disbursement of higher benefit payments following a line-of-duty death.
Costs and funding
$800,000 from the state general fund annually.
When it takes effect
The bill is signed and became Act No. 909 as of June 2026.
Potential benefits
Provides enhanced financial support and security for the survivors of essential public safety personnel.
Risks and tradeoffs
Adds an $800,000 recurring burden to the state budget.
What is still unknown
Exact eligibility criteria, definitions of 'line of duty,' and the specific disbursement structure are not detailed in the summary.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Provides increased financial security for survivors of public safety personnel
- Standardizes state support for families of those lost in the line of duty
- Directly assists household financial stability for impacted families
Risks
- Increases ongoing state general fund expenditures by $800,000
- Places a recurring demand on the state budget
- Creates a fixed fiscal obligation regardless of economic downturns
Society
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Provides material support to grieving families
- Acknowledges the high-risk nature of first responder professions
- Strengthens the social safety net for essential public service workers
Risks
- Benefits are localized to specific public service professions
- Does not address broader social safety net gaps for non-public servants
- May create perception of tiered support between public sectors
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Public Health & Safety
Mixed / Neutral
55%
Benefits
- Promotes personnel welfare in high-stakes public safety roles
- Supports the morale of currently active emergency responders
- Indirectly signals high value on the preservation of life in service
Risks
- Does not physically improve the safety conditions of the job
- Does not reduce the frequency of line-of-duty casualties
- Does not provide preventive health resources to the workforce
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source material is limited to a brief summary and metadata.
04
Where it stands
Official recordSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 909.
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
How it affects your district
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06
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