HB 448 — STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP: Authorizes scholarships provided for firefighters and police officers injured in the line of duty and spouses of firefighters and police officers injured or killed in the line of duty to be used for any postgraduate degree (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

HLSENROLLED 26RS-1263 REENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

BLANC, AND TAYLOR STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP:AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.

Authorizesscholarshipsprovidedforfirefightersand police officers injured in the line of duty and spouses of firefighters and police officers injured or killed in the line of duty to be used for any postgraduate degree AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.

The spouse of a police officer who is injured in the course and scope of the performance of his duties and the injuryinjurycauses causes death or serious injuryresultinginjury resulting in an inability to be employed, which spouse is otherwise eligible and meets all of the entrance requirements of a college or university, shall be admitted to a college or university without the payment of any fees, tuition, or other charges, including roomandboardcharges.Aslongasthespousemeetstheacademicrequirementsand maintains a "C" average for each semester and complies with the rules and Pageregulationsofthecollegeoruniversityrequiredforattendance,asafull-timestudent, 1the ofspouse 4shall CODING:receive the exemption.

The Such exemption shall exist for the spouse for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor to obtain one bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offeredbythecollegeoruniversity.Inaddition,thespouseshallbeentitled to acash grant of two hundred fifty dollars per semester from the college or university as an Page 1 of 3 CODING:

HLS 26RS-1263 REENGROSSED HB NO.

448 regulationsofthecollegeoruniversityrequiredforattendance,asafull-timestudent,ENROLLED allowance for books, and all of the spouseabove sums shall receivebe paid out of funds appropriated from the exemption.general fund of the state of Louisiana.

The Such exemption shall exist for the spouse for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor to obtain one bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offeredbythecollegeoruniversity.Inaddition, thespouseshallbeentitledtoacash grant of two hundred fifty dollars per semester from the college or university as an allowance for books, and all of the above sums shall be paid out of funds appropriated from the general fund of the state of Louisiana.

AnypoliceofficerwhoisAnypolice officerwho is injured in thetheperformanceof performanceof duties as a police officer and such injuryresults in an inability to be employed, and the police officer is otherwise eligible and meets all of the entrance requirements of a college or university,suchpoliceofficershallbeadmittedtosuchcollegeoruniversitywithout thepaymentofanyfees,tuition,orothercharges,includingroomandboardcharges, as long as such police officer meets the academic requirements and maintains a "C" average for each semester and complies with the rules and regulations of such college or university required for attendance therein as a full-time student.

Such exemption shall exist forsuchpoliceofficerfortheforsuchpoliceofficerforthenumberofsemestersrequiredof numberofsemestersrequiredof afull-timestudenttoobtainonebachelortoobtainonebachelor's,master's,doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offered by such college or university.

The spouse of a firefighter who is injured in the course and scope of the performance of his duties and the injury causes death or serious injury resulting in Pagean 2inability to be employed, which spouse is otherwise eligible and meets all of 4the CODING:entrance requirements of a college or university, shall be admitted to such college or university without the payment of any fees, tuition, or other charges, including room and board charges.

Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscored are additions.

HLS 26RS-1263 REENGROSSED HB NO.

448 an inability to be employed, which spouse is otherwise eligible and meets all of the entrance requirements of a college or university, shall be admitted to such college or university without the payment of any fees, tuition, or other charges, including room and board charges.

Suchexemptionshallexistforsuch spousePage for2 the number of semesters3 requiredCODING: of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor to obtain one bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offered by such college or university.

Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscored are additions.

HB NO.

448 ENROLLED spouse for the number of semesters required of a full-time student to obtain one bachelor to obtain one bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offered by such college or university.

Suchexemptionshallexistfor such firefighter for the number of semesterssemestersrequiredof requiredof a full-time student to obtain one bachelor to obtain one bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or other postgraduate degree offered by such college or university.

* * * PageSPEAKER 3OF ofTHE 4HOUSE CODING:OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscoredPage are3 additions.of 3 CODING:

HLS 26RS-1263 REENGROSSED HB NO.

448 DIGEST ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative Services.

It constitutes nopart of the legislative instrument.

The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 448 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Adams Abstract:

Authorizes the use of certain scholarships for former firefighters, spouses of former firefighters, former police officers, and spouses of former police officers for any postgraduate degree.

Present law provides for scholarships for the following categories of people:

(1) A firefighter who is injured in his line of dutyin which injuryresults in the inability to remain employed.

(2) The spouse of a firefighter who is killed in the line of duty or injured in the line of duty and which injury results in the inability to remain employed.

(3) A police officer who is injured in his line of duty in which injury results in the inability to remain employed.

(4) The spouse of a police officer who is killed in the line of dutyor injured in the line of duty and which injury results in the inability to remain employed.

Present law requires each scholarship recipient to meet all entrance requirements to the college or university to which he applies, and to maintain a "C" average each semester.

Present law limits the use of the scholarship to 10 semesters.

Requires scholarship to cover all tuition and fees.

Proposed law retains present law.

Present law limits use of scholarship to obtaining one bachelor degree.

Proposed law adds option to use scholarship to obtain any postgraduate degree.

(Amends R.S.