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HB 455

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: Provides relative to the definition of "first responder"

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kim Carver

expands first responder definition to include public works employees who perform emergency response duties during declared disasters.

Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
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Bill Summary · HB 455

Summary of HB 455 (2026, Louisiana) — Emergency Preparedness: Definition of "First Responder"

Purpose and Intent

  • Expands the definition of “first responder” to include public works employees.
  • Establishes a specific category: “public works first responder,” who would be mobilized for emergency response duties during declared emergencies or disasters.
  • Clarifies that the designation is for emergency operations, coordination, and related activities, not a broad change to retirement, compensation, or civil service rights.

Key Provisions

Amendments to Definitions

  • Amends Louisiana Revised Statutes to broaden what counts as a “first responder.”
    • Current first responders: includes medical personnel, EMTs, volunteer firefighters, auxiliary law enforcement, state agency essential workers, emergency service dispatchers, emergency response operators, Civil Air Patrol, etc.
    • Adds “public works first responders” to the definition via new R.S. 29:723(21).

New Definition: Public Works First Responder

  • A state, parish, or municipal employee whose primary duties involve public infrastructure operations, maintenance, or repair (e.g., transportation, roads and bridges, drainage, utilities, water/wastewater systems, fleet operations, solid waste, facilities maintenance).
  • Must be required to perform emergency response functions during a declared emergency or disaster.

Roles and Integration (Powers of the Governor)

  • Public works first responders are recognized as essential emergency response personnel.
  • They will be integrated into state/local emergency preparedness, response, and recovery operations, including:
    • Incident command and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) coordination.
    • Debris clearance, infrastructure stabilization, and emergency repairs.
    • Support for evacuation, sheltering, and reentry operations.
    • Mutual aid and intergovernmental emergency response activities.

Access and Credentials

  • Public works first responders may be issued emergency credentials and identification for access to restricted areas during declared emergencies.

Limitations and Protections

  • The designation is for emergency operations, coordination, and recognition purposes only.
  • The bill specifies that it does not:
    • Alter eligibility for retirement systems or retirement benefits.
    • Create presumptions related to workers’ compensation or occupational disease.
    • Mandate hazard pay, premium pay, or additional compensation.
    • Expand civil service classifications or collective bargaining rights.
  • Any expansion of compensation, retirement, or benefits would require separate explicit legislative authorization.

Training and Preparedness

  • Public works first responders are eligible to participate in emergency preparedness training, exercises, and planning activities coordinated by GOHSEP and local emergency management agencies, subject to available resources.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Public works employees at state, parish, or municipal levels whose duties include public infrastructure operations/maintenance/repair and who are designated to perform emergency response during declared emergencies or disasters.
  • GOHSEP and local emergency management agencies, which would incorporate these personnel into planning, training, and response activities.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Amends R.S. 23:1017.1(6) and adds R.S. 29:723(21) and 724(I).
  • Effective upon enactment (as with other enacted statutes), with provisions applying during declared emergencies or disasters.
  • Action history shows committee referrals in 2026; sponsor is Rep. Kim Carver.

Practical Impact

  • Creates a formal framework to utilize public works staff in emergency response roles alongside traditional first responders.
  • Improves coordination for infrastructure-related emergency operations (e.g., road/bridge clearance, utility restoration, debris management).
  • Does not financially obligate local governments to provide additional pay or benefits unless later authorized by separate legislation.
  • Encourages inclusion of public works personnel in preparedness activities, enhancing overall resilience during weather-related or other declared emergencies.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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