Louisiana § RS 22:1483.1 - Louisiana Fortify Homes Program

§ RS 22:1483.1. Louisiana Fortify Homes Program

            A.(1) The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is hereby created within the department. The commissioner, as program administrator, may make financial grants to retrofit roofs of insurable property, as defined in R.S. 22:1483, with a homestead exemption to resist loss due to hurricane, tornado, or other catastrophic windstorm events and to meet or exceed the "fortified roof" standard of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to govern the eligibility requirements for grants and the administration of the program.

            (2) The commissioner may apply for grants or funds from the federal government or other funding sources to supplement the funds appropriated by the legislature. The commissioner may use grant funds to pay for inspections for grant applicants subject to the terms of the grant.

            (3) The commissioner may enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with public agencies and private entities for projects pursuant to this Section. A cooperative endeavor partner may administer grants or funds in the manner required by the cooperative endeavor agreement.

            (4) In order to ensure that state or federal monies are used in as an effective manner as possible for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program and to ensure a maximum rate of return on invested state dollars, the department shall perform the following duties:

            (a) By July first of each calendar year, the department shall publish on its website or other publicly accessible platform a list of all discounts that insurers filed and were approved by the commissioner.

            (b) The department shall also submit a copy of the report to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by R.S. 24:771 and 772.

            B. In order to receive a grant pursuant to this Section, the grantee shall do all of the following:

            (1) Obtain all permits required by law or ordinance for construction.

            (2) Arrange and pay for inspections required by law or ordinance and the terms of the grant, which shall include inspection pursuant to R.S. 22:1483(C)(3).

            (3) Comply with applicable building codes.

            (4) Maintain records as required by R.S. 22:1483(C)(4) and (5) and the terms of the grant.

            (5) Submit to random reinspection of the retrofitted insurable property.

            C.(1) The name of a recipient of a grant received pursuant to this Section, the amount of the grant, and the municipal address of the retrofitted insurable property shall be a public record.

            (2) All information and records received pursuant to this Section other than those listed in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be deemed confidential and exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Law, R.S. 44:1 et seq. Nothing in this Subsection shall prevent the use of such information or records for the compilation of statistical data wherein the identity of the applicant, grantee, evaluator, or contractor is not disclosed.

            D. There is hereby established in the state treasury as a special fund the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program Fund, hereafter referred to in this Section as the "fund". Monies appropriated or transferred to the fund shall be deposited by the state treasurer after compliance with the provisions of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana. Monies in the fund shall be invested in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and any interest earned on monies in the fund shall be credited to the fund. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used to provide grants pursuant to this Section.

            E. This Section does not create any of the following:

            (1) An entitlement for property owners to receive funding to inspect or retrofit residential property.

            (2) An obligation for the state to appropriate funding to inspect or retrofit residential property.

            (3) A guarantee, warranty, or surety on the part of the state for the performance of any obligation undertaken by an applicant, evaluator, or contractor.

            F. Grant amounts received on or after January 1, 2025, shall be exempt from inclusion in the recipient's taxable income for purposes of state individual income tax as provided in R.S. 47:293(9)(a)(xxvii).

            Acts 2022, No. 554, §1, eff. Jan. 1. 2023; Acts 2024, No. 8, §1; Acts 2024, No. 533, §§1, 3, eff. June 10, 2024; Acts 2025, No. 32, §1, eff. June 4, 2025.