Authorizes the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice to establish a grant program for pursuit intervention technologies

House Bill 511 creates a new statutory section, R.S. 40:2401.4, establishing the Law Enforcement Pursuit Safety and Technology Grant Program within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice. The program provides grant funding to state, parish, and municipal law enforcement agencies to acquire pursuit intervention technologies and training designed to safely terminate high-speed vehicle pursuits. The legislation specifies that grant funds may be used for training or purchase of enumerated technologies including GPS tracking projectiles, vehicle-stopping nets or tethering systems such as the Grappler, and remote-controlled tire deflation devices. The commission is directed to promulgate uniform guidelines for program administration and to prioritize grant applications from agencies that have integrated these technologies into their use-of-force and pursuit policies with an emphasis on reducing manual deployment risks and enhancing officer safety.

The practical effect of this legislation impacts state, parish, and municipal law enforcement agencies statewide that seek funding for pursuit intervention technology and training. Agencies with existing use-of-force and pursuit policies that incorporate these technologies will receive priority consideration for grant awards. The commission gains authority to solicit and accept multiple funding sources including federal grants from the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Homeland Security Grant Program, Community Oriented Policing Services Technology and Equipment Program, Community Policy Development Microgrants Program, and assistance from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. This funding flexibility enables the commission to leverage federal dollars and state transportation resources for the grant program's operations and distributions.

This legislation operates within the existing framework established by R.S. 40:2401 et seq., which governs the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice and its regulatory authority. The bill integrates pursuit safety into the state's Strategic Highway Safety Plan, connecting highway safety policy with law enforcement operations under the broader federal Highway Safety Improvement Program established in 23 U.S.C. 148. The statute establishes a new regulatory regime requiring the commission to promulgate rules and guidelines governing program administration, application procedures, and grant distribution criteria. By conditioning prioritized funding on agency adoption of specific pursuit policies and technologies, the legislation creates incentives for local law enforcement to standardize pursuit intervention procedures consistent with the commission's statewide safety objectives.