House unanimously raises family compensation for police, firefighters killed in line of duty

Published: April 28, 2026

By: Izzy Wollfarth, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE – A bipartisan bill increasing the financial compensation to more than $400,000 for family members of law enforcement officers and firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty advanced unanimously on the House floor Monday.

Rep. Jeffery “Jeff” Wiley, R-Maurepas, a retired Ascension Parish sheriff, led the floor discussion on the bill, which had 59 co-authors, including members of the Black caucus and notable Republican legislators.

More than 10 years ago, the state passed legislation giving spouses and dependents who suffered the loss of a loved one a one-time lump sum of $250,000. If an officer or firefighter does not have a spouse or dependents, the money is earmarked for his or her estate.

The current bill would increase the compensation amount to $404,000 to update the previous statute and account for inflation.