The section provides death benefits for eligible civil air patrol cases and requires court findings before payment.
§655. Financial security for surviving spouses and children of civil air patrol personnel A. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state, under its police power, to provide for the financial security of surviving spouses and dependent children of civil air patrol personnel who suffer death as a result of injury sustained in the performance of official duties. B. For the purposes of this Section, all civil air patrol personnel shall be deemed law enforcement officials of this state pursuant to Section 29 of Article X of the Constitution of 1974 and as such, entitled to any and all benefits thereby provided. C. In any case in which a member of the civil air patrol suffers death as a result of injury sustained in the performance of his official duties, the legislature shall appropriate the sum of ten thousand dollars, which shall be paid to the surviving spouse of such member of the civil air patrol, and in addition thereto, should such member of the civil air patrol be survived by minor children, the legislature shall appropriate the sum of five thousand dollars for each of said children, which sum shall be paid to the duly appointed and qualified tutor or other legal representative of said child. D. No such payment shall be made until a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction has become final and such judgment has decreed that the member of the civil air patrol did suffer death as a result of injury sustained in the performance of his official duties and that the person killed was not covered by workers' compensation provided by the United States Air Force. E. Suit shall be instituted by the attorney general against the legislative auditor in the district court of the parish in which the state capitol is situated in any case where it appears that such a member of the civil air patrol has suffered death in the circumstances provided by this Section and jurisdiction over such suit is hereby conferred on said court. Any judgment rendered by such court shall be subject to appeal as in other civil matters. F. Such suit may be instituted under the laws applicable to declaratory judgments and any such suit shall be regarded as presenting a justiciable controversy between the attorney general and the legislative auditor. Added by Acts 1974, No. 638, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1975. Acts 1983, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 1, §6; Acts 2004, No. 712, §1, eff. July 6, 2004.