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HB 585

LABOR: Enacts the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tehmi Chassion

Requires small box discount retailers to assess risk, implement safety plans, protect employees from retaliation, and allow civil actions for violations.

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.
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Bill Summary · HB 585

Summary of HB 585 (2026) – Louisiana

Purpose and intent

  • Enacts the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act to address workplace violence in small box discount retail stores.
  • Aims to protect employees by requiring risk assessments, safety plans, anti-retaliation protections, and civil remedies for violations.

Key provisions and changes

  • Short title: Known as the Discount Retailer Workforce Safety and Retention Act (Part III of Chapter 3, Title 23).

  • Definitions (Section 273)

    • “Employee”: an individual employed by an employer.
    • “Employer”: includes a broad set of entities receiving services from an employee and paying compensation, but excludes those employing fewer than 15 employees in Louisiana on at least 20 workweeks in the current or prior year.
    • “Small box discount store”: retail store 5,000 to 10,000 square feet selling consumer goods at typically lower than market price. Exclusions: stores with 15%+ of floor area devoted to fresh foods, prescription pharmacies, gasoline/diesel, or primarily home improvement/construction goods.
    • “Workplace violence”: includes robbery, threats or use of firearms/other dangerous weapons, and other crimes of violence defined by law.

  • Workplace risk assessment and safety plan (Section 274)

    • Each small box discount retailer must evaluate the workplace for factors that increase risk of violence (examples: late/early shifts, handling cash, working alone or in small numbers, uncontrolled access, nearby incidents).
    • Employers must develop and implement, or provide a timeline no longer than 6 months to implement, a written workforce safety plan addressing:
    • Increasing visibility of high-risk areas.
    • External lighting improvements.
    • Use of drop safes or cash-minimization methods.
    • Posting notices about limited cash on hand.
    • Establishing/reporting systems for workplace violence incidents.
    • Written plan and risk evaluation must be available on request to employees, their representatives, the Louisiana Workforce Commission (Labor/“secretary of La. Works”), and the public. New hires must receive a copy upon hire.
    • Employers may apply a single plan to multiple locations.
    • Employers must document every incident of workplace violence and review incidents annually to adjust risk factors as needed.
    • If a location experiences two or more violent incidents in one year, the employer must:
    • Install panic buttons throughout the workplace.
    • Reassess and, if needed, increase staffing during high-risk times (e.g., when an incident involved a solo worker).

  • Anti-retaliation (Section 275)

    • Employers may not prohibit or punish an employee for seeking assistance or intervention from local emergency services or law enforcement following a workplace violence incident.
    • Employers may not retaliate against an employee who, in good faith, reports an allegation or incident of workplace violence.

  • Civil remedy (Section 276)

    • Employees have a civil right of action for damages (including reasonable attorney fees) for violations of the Part.
    • Time limit: filing within one year of the violation.
    • Venue: actions may be filed in the judicial district court of the employee’s domicile parish, the parish where the incident occurred, or as otherwise permitted under general venue rules.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Small box discount retailers operating in Louisiana (as defined by size and product mix criteria) with 15 or more employees (per employer) as a threshold for coverage.
  • Employees of these retailers, who gain new protections against violence, retaliation, and who can seek civil remedies.
  • Employers and their management, who must conduct risk assessments, implement safety plans, document incidents, and potentially increase staffing or install panic buttons after multiple incidents.
  • Public and employee representatives who may request access to the written safety plan and risk evaluations.
  • Louisiana Workforce Commission (La. Works) as a recipient of requested materials.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective scope: Establishes new statutory requirements for small box discount retailers; adds to Chapter 3, Title 23 (Louisiana Revised Statutes).
  • Plan implementation timeline: Written workforce safety plan must be implemented within 6 months of requirement.
  • Reporting and documentation: Ongoing obligation to document incidents and annually review risk factors.
  • Civil action window: One-year statute of limitations for civil actions related to violations.

Practical considerations

  • The bill targets a specific segment of retailers (small box discount stores) and creates explicit safety measures tailored to potential violence risks.
  • It balances employer responsibilities with protections for employees seeking help and reporting incidents.
  • The act permits civil recourse, providing a potential pathway for damages and attorney fees if violations occur.

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

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