(Constitutional Amendment) Provides for supplemental pay for fire protection officers employed by an airport authority. (OR +$111,600 GF EX See Note)
Summary
HB 349 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand Louisiana’s authority to provide state supplemental pay to certain fire protection officers. Under current constitutional language, supplemental pay may be provided to sworn law enforcement officers and to fire protection officers employed by a port authority; this bill would add fire protection officers employed by an airport authority to that list. The measure does not itself create the pay program, but it would authorize the Legislature to do so by law if voters approve the amendment.
The proposal would be submitted to Louisiana voters at the statewide election on November 3, 2026. If adopted, it would amend Article X, Section 10(A)(1)(b) of the Louisiana Constitution to expressly include airport-authority fire protection officers among the categories eligible for state supplemental pay. The bill’s digest indicates the change is limited to this eligibility expansion and retains the existing constitutional framework for other covered officers.
Impact
HB 349 would change the Louisiana Constitution to permit the Legislature to fund supplemental pay for full-time fire protection officers employed by an airport authority, placing them on similar footing with fire protection officers at port authorities. The practical effect would be to authorize state supplemental compensation for a new class of public safety employees, potentially increasing state general fund obligations if the Legislature enacts implementing pay legislation. It would not directly alter local civil service rules, but it would expand the pool of officers who may receive state-funded supplemental pay under Article X, Section 10.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears straightforward and supportive of public safety personnel, with no recorded committee debate or votes showing opposition or controversy. The caption and digest frame the bill as a targeted constitutional amendment to extend an existing benefit to airport authority fire protection officers. Because there are no transcripts or vote records provided, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as neutral to favorable, with the proposal presented as a limited equity/compensation adjustment rather than a broader policy change.
Contention
The main substantive issue is whether state supplemental pay should be extended to fire protection officers at airport authorities, which could raise budgetary concerns because the bill’s caption notes an estimated general fund impact. Any contention would likely center on the cost of adding another employee group to the supplemental pay system and whether airport authority firefighters should be treated the same as port authority firefighters. No specific objections, amendments, or opposing arguments are included in the provided record.