House Bill No. 203, introduced by Representative Chassion, aims to provide for the payment of extraordinary medical and dental expenses incurred by firemen and law enforcement officers who are injured while performing their official duties. The bill establishes that the maximum benefit payable for such expenses is limited to $50,000 per injury per officer. It also expands the responsibilities of the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board, which will now have the authority to hear and decide claims for these expenses, as well as the ability to adopt necessary rules and regulations. The state risk director is tasked with making payments for these expenses from the Self-Insurance Fund.

The bill includes specific definitions for terms such as "extraordinary medical and dental expenses" and outlines the conditions under which benefits will not be payable, such as injuries resulting from intentional misconduct or gross negligence. The provisions of this bill will apply to expenses incurred due to injuries arising from the performance of an officer's duties on or after January 1, 2023, and it is set to take effect on July 1, 2025. The amendments adopted by the House Committee on Appropriations reduced the maximum benefit from $150,000 to $50,000 and clarified the applicability of the bill.