A. There is hereby created in the state treasury, as a special fund, the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Fund, hereinafter referred to in this Chapter as the “fund”. Monies in the fund shall be used solely for payments made in accordance with the Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Program as provided in this Section.

            B. Monies in the fund shall be invested in the same manner as monies in the state general fund. Interest earned on investment of monies in the fund shall be credited to the fund. Until the termination of the program, unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund.

            C. The Law Enforcement Recruitment Incentive Program, hereinafter referred to in this Chapter as the “program”, is hereby established to aid in the recruitment of law enforcement officers within the state. The purpose of the program is to provide one-time incentive payments of five thousand dollars to certain newly employed law enforcement officers in the state.

            D. For purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

            (1) “Eligible agency” means a sheriff’s office, municipal police department, or the office of state police within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

            (2) “Law enforcement officer” means an officer whose permanent duties actually include the making of arrests, the performing of searches and seizures, or the execution of criminal warrants, and who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime or for the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of this state. “Law enforcement officer” shall not include any elected or appointed head of a law enforcement department.

            (3) “Municipality” means an incorporated city, town, or village.

            (4) “Newly employed officer” means a person who gains or is appointed to full-time employment as a law enforcement officer with a Louisiana eligible agency on or after July 1, 2023, and who has never before been employed as a law enforcement officer in this state.

            E. To qualify for the incentive payment, a newly employed officer shall meet the following criteria:

            (1) Attain POST-certification within one year of the date on which employment begins.

            (2) Maintain continuous full-time employment with an eligible agency for a least two years from the date on which employment begins. The required two-year employment period may be satisfied by maintaining employment at one or more eligible agencies, but such period shall not contain any break in service longer than fifteen calendar days.

            F.(1) An incentive payment made pursuant to this Section shall be reimbursed by the officer who received payment to the state treasurer under any of the following circumstances:

            (a) The officer voluntarily separates from employment with an employing agency prior to completion of two years of employment, as provided in Paragraph (E)(2) of this Section.

            (b) The officer has a break in service of more than fifteen days.

            (c) The officer is dismissed for cause by the employing agency.

            (2) The employing agency shall notify the treasurer if an officer who received payment does not meet the required two-year employment period.

            (3) The treasurer shall send a determination letter to any officer who is required to reimburse an incentive payment pursuant to this Subsection to the officer’s last-known mailing address. Reimbursement of the incentive payment shall be made to the treasurer within twelve months of the date on the determination letter.

            G.(1) Any request for an incentive payment for a deputy sheriff shall be submitted by the sheriff of the respective parish to the Deputy Sheriff’s Supplemental Pay Board for review and approval. The board shall submit the approved request to the state treasurer for payment. The treasurer shall remit payments from the fund for deputy sheriffs to the sheriff’s office of the respective parish. The sheriff of each parish shall expend such funds solely for paying the incentive payment.

            (2) Any request for an incentive payment for a municipal police officer shall be submitted by the chief of police of the respective municipality to the Supplemental Pay Board of Review for Municipal Police Officers for review and approval. The board shall submit the approved request to the state treasurer for payment. The treasurer shall remit payments from the fund for municipal police officers to the police department of the respective municipality. The chief of police of each municipality shall expend such funds solely for paying the incentive payment.

            (3) Any request for an incentive payment for a law enforcement officer employed by the office of state police shall be submitted pursuant to rules promulgated by the State Police Commission. The treasurer shall remit payments from the fund for the officer to the office of state police. The office of state police shall expend such funds solely for paying the incentive payment.

            (4) Every request submitted pursuant to this Subsection shall include:

            (a) Certification from the submitting party that the newly employed officer meets the eligibility criteria for receiving the incentive payment.

            (b) A form signed by the newly employed officer acknowledging the reimbursement requirements for failure to maintain eligibility.

            H. Payments shall be made on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of the approved request of any entity as provided for in Subsection G of this Section. Payments shall cease when all monies in the fund have been expended.

            I. To the extent necessary, any local civil service system shall promulgate rules for the effective implementation of this Section within its jurisdiction.

            J. The provisions of this Section shall terminate on July 1, 2025. Upon termination of the program, the treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to transfer any unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund to the state general fund.

            Acts 2023, No. 376, §1, eff. June 14, 2023.