EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: Provides relative to first responders. (gov sig)
Summary
SB 164 expands Louisiana’s statutory definition of “first responder” to expressly include public works employees in certain emergency contexts. The bill amends R.S. 23:1017.1 and R.S. 29:739, and adds a new definition in R.S. 29:723 for “public works employee” as an employee of a municipal or parish public works department responsible for maintaining and improving local infrastructure. Under the bill, public works employees are treated as first responders only during emergencies declared by the governor, and the law also allows the term “first responder” to be displayed on their uniforms.
The measure also broadens the definition used in the Intrastate Mutual Aid Compact to include public works personnel among the skilled support workers who provide immediate support during prevention, response, and recovery operations. The act is designated the “Shelby LaSalle Act,” and it directs the Louisiana State Law Institute to renumber the definitions in R.S. 29:723 so they remain in alphabetical order. The bill takes effect upon gubernatorial signature or otherwise as provided by the Louisiana Constitution.
Impact
The bill changes Louisiana law governing emergency preparedness, workers’ definitions, and mutual aid by formally recognizing municipal and parish public works employees as first responders in limited emergency situations. It affects statutes in Title 23 and Title 29, expanding eligibility and terminology for public works personnel in emergency-response-related provisions while leaving the broader first responder framework intact. The practical effect is to extend statutory recognition and potentially associated benefits, protections, or administrative treatment to a new class of local government workers during declared emergencies.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received favorably and without recorded opposition. It passed the Senate unanimously, 37-0, and was subsequently signed by the governor as Act 467. The absence of committee transcript debate in the provided materials suggests the measure was not especially controversial and likely reflected broad agreement on recognizing public works employees’ role in emergency response.
Contention
No significant contention is reflected in the available record. The main policy issue is the scope of the new first responder designation: public works employees are included, but only for emergencies declared by the governor, which limits the expansion and may have been intended to address concerns about overbroad classification. The bill also permits the “first responder” label on uniforms, but no objections or competing viewpoints are shown in the provided votes or transcripts.