SLS 20RS-336 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 254
BY SENATOR CARTER
LOCAL AGENCIES. Provides for expansion of working conditions afforded to fire service
employees employed by nonprofit corporations under contract with a fire protection district,
municipality, or other political subdivision. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:1965, relative to the regulation of fire departments and
3 working conditions of fireman employed by departments; and to provide for related
4 matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 33:1965 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1965. Regulation of department; working conditions
8 A. If the municipality has less than one hundred thousand inhabitants, the
9 governing authority of the municipality shall regulate the fire department, shall
10 provide a sufficient number of officers and men to carry out the purposes of this Sub-
11 part, and shall provide a sufficient number of beds for the men on night duty.
12 B. If the municipality has one hundred thousand or more inhabitants:
13 (1) The chief engineer or commanding officer of the fire department or other
14 proper authority shall regulate the department, fix the hours of duty, provide a
15 sufficient number of officers and men to carry out the purposes of this Sub-part, and
16 provide for substitutes in the department;
17 (2) The members of the department shall not perform any hours of service
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 254
SLS 20RS-336 ORIGINAL
1 longer than those fixed;
2 (3) All fire drills shall take place during the hours of platoon watch or
3 service, and
4 (4) Sufficient beds shall be furnished each company for the men on night
5 duty.
6 C. If a nonprofit corporation under contract with a fire protection
7 district, municipality, or other political subdivision operates, administers, or
8 maintains a fire department, the provisions of Subsections A and B above shall
9 apply. Additionally, firemen employed by such nonprofit corporation shall be
10 considered a firefighter covered by and benefitting from the occupational
11 disease presumptions and other provisions of R.S. 33:1948, 2011, 2581, 2581.1,
12 and 2581.2.
13 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
14 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
15 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
16 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
17 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by James Benton.
DIGEST
SB 254 Original 2020 Regular Session Carter
Present law provides that if the municipality has less than 100,000 inhabitants, the governing
authority of the municipality will regulate the fire department, will provide a sufficient
number of officers and men to carry out the purposes of this present law, and will provide
a sufficient number of beds for the men on night duty.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that if the municipality has 100,000 or more inhabitants:
(1)The chief engineer or commanding officer of the fire department or other proper
authority will regulate the department, fix the hours of duty, provide a sufficient
number of officers and men to carry out the purposes of this Subpart, and provide for
substitutes in the department;
(2)The members of the department will not perform any hours of service longer than
those fixed;
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 254
SLS 20RS-336 ORIGINAL
(3)All fire drills will take place during the hours of platoon watch or service; and
(4)Sufficient beds will be furnished each company for the men on night duty.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that if a nonprofit corporation under contract with a fire protection
district, municipality, or other political subdivision operates, administers, or maintains a fire
department, the provisions of present law shall apply. Additionally, firemen employed by
such nonprofit corporation will be considered a firefighter covered by and benefitting from
the occupational disease presumptions and other provisions of present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 33:1965)
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.