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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana House Bill 522 Modifies Arrest and Firearm Authority for State and Local Fire Marshals
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.Sponsor: Bryan Fontenot
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What This Bill Proposed
FIRE PROTECT/FIRE MARSHAL: Provides relative to authority of the state fire marshal to make arrests and carry firearms
The measure directly alters the scope of police powers, legal immunities, and weapon-carrying permissions for state fire protection personnel and local arson investigators, while setting a June 30, 2028 termination date for the initial set of expanded authorities.
- The State Fire Marshal in Louisiana oversees fire prevention, building safety inspections, and arson investigations across the state. context
- P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification is the mandatory standard for law enforcement officers in Louisiana. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State fire marshal and deputy fire marshals
Their arrest powers, weapon-carrying permissions, legal immunities, and general law enforcement authorities are explicitly defined and modified by the legislation.
Local arson investigators
They become subject to specific local commission rules, P.O.S.T. firearm credentialing requirements, and training funded by their respective fire protection districts or departments.
Political subdivisions and fire protection districts
Governing authorities and department chiefs are granted the option to authorize commissions for local arson investigators and become responsible for funding necessary P.O.S.T. training.
Key Facts
- Grants the state fire marshal, first assistant fire marshal, and each deputy fire marshal the authority to investigate and cause arrests, enforce state laws, and perform related duties while engaged in official duties.
- Authorizes the state fire marshal and deputies to carry weapons concealed or exposed and vests them with the same authority as regular state law enforcement officers.
- Grants the state fire marshal, first assistant fire marshal, and deputy fire marshals full immunities and defenses in suits brought as a consequence of acts performed in the course and scope of employment.
- Requires the state fire marshal to issue a commission authorizing the carrying of firearms to any state arson investigator certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
Show all 8 facts
- Permits the governing authority of a political subdivision to authorize fire protection district and fire department chiefs to issue commissions to local arson investigators allowing firearm use and arrests.
- Requires local arson investigators receiving commissions to obtain P.O.S.T. firearm credentials, with the employing fire district or department paying for necessary training costs.
- Establishes that the initial provisions of Section 1 of the Act become null and void on June 30, 2028.
- Repeals R.S. 40:1563.1 in its entirety effective June 30, 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
What powers does House Bill 522 grant to the state fire marshal and deputies?
Who pays for the training of local arson investigators to obtain P.O.S.T. firearm credentials?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 26, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 26, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Scheduled Statutory Transition
The bill implements an immediate set of authorities that are explicitly set to expire on June 30, 2028, transitioning into a newly enacted permanent statute (R.S. 40:1563.1.1) on that exact date.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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