§735. Immunity of personnel

            A.(1) Neither the state nor any political subdivision thereof, nor other state agencies, nor, except in case of willful misconduct, the employees or representatives of any of them engaged in any homeland security and emergency preparedness and recovery activities, while complying with or attempting to comply with this Chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall be liable for the death of or any injury to persons or damage to property as a result of such activity.

            (2) Additionally, no prisoner in the custody of the sheriff or law enforcement agency who was evacuated to another prison or jail during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina or Rita, and who was not released within the time required by the Code of Criminal Procedure or Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, shall have a cause of action for damages against the sheriff or law enforcement agency for the failure to timely release the prisoner, if the failure was due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina or Rita and the lack of access to prison records and information specifying when the prisoner is to be released; however, the sheriff or law enforcement agency shall be liable for damages if within a reasonable length of time following Hurricane Katrina or Rita, the sheriff or law enforcement agency makes no attempt to ascertain when the prisoner is to be released and fails to release the prisoner from custody.

            (3) The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and each parish homeland security and emergency preparedness agency shall be immune from any claim based upon the exercise or performance of, or the failure to exercise or perform, any discretionary function or duty, on the part of the office or any employee thereof in carrying out its mission as defined in R.S. 29:726 and 728.

            B. The provisions of this Section shall not affect the right of any person to receive benefits to which he would otherwise be entitled under this Chapter, or under the worker's compensation law, or under any pension law, nor the right of any such person to receive any benefits or compensation under any act of congress.

            Acts 1993, No. 800, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 2003, No. 40, §2, eff. May 23, 2003; Acts 2005, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 46, §1, eff. Dec. 6, 2005; Acts 2018, No. 713, §1; Acts 2020, No. 362, §1, eff. June 12, 2020.

NOTE: See Acts 2020, No. 362, §2, relative to retroactive application to March 11, 2020.