§2175. Blanket fidelity insurance policy; powers of board; rehired retirees; refund of contributions; restrictions on payments; warrants; deposits; investments

A. The board shall carry a blanket fidelity insurance policy covering each officer handling the money or securities of the fund in an amount not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars. The board shall pay the premium therefor out of its funds.

B. The board of trustees may employ an executive director and other personnel and pay all reasonable and proper expenses required for the efficient operation of the fund.

C.(1) Any member who withdraws from service as a sheriff or deputy may apply for and obtain a refund of the amount of his contributions by making application on the form furnished by the fund after he has remained out of service for a period of thirty calendar days and after all contributions for said member have been submitted by the appropriate sheriff's office. In addition, such person may apply for and obtain a payment of any contributions made on his behalf by his employer pursuant to R.S. 11:2174(B)(3)(b) and (5)(b), reduced by that portion of such contributions described in R.S. 11:103, without the increase provided in R.S. 11:2174(B)(3)(b) or (5)(b), respectively. A refund automatically cancels all rights in the fund and the member forfeits all prior service and military service as well as membership credit for the period refunded.

(2)(a) If any member, who withdrew from service and obtained a refund or other payment in accordance with this Section, should return to service and become a member of the fund, then he shall be entitled to reestablish credit for such refunded service by making payment to the fund of the amount of the refund previously obtained, plus interest at the board-approved actuarial valuation rate, compounded annually from the date of the refund to the date of repayment.

(b) If the refund described in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph represents four or more years of service credit, then the refund may be repaid in two separate transactions. Service credit shall be credited to the member's account in an amount equal to the portion of service represented by the repayment. No service shall be credited to a member's account prior to the repayment of the refund.

(3)(a) Any participating member of the fund, who has prior service time performed as a sheriff, deputy, or noncommissioned employee in a member parish of the fund, which has not been purchased or credited in the fund, shall be entitled to purchase such credit by making payment to the fund of an amount calculated in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 11:158(C).

(b) In the event a member applies for a transfer and has a break in service in the Sheriffs' Pension and Relief Fund, notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 11:143(F)(3), the fund may approve a transfer in which the amount transferred is equal to the accrued liability multiplied by the ratio of the most recent average monthly salary based on thirty-six months salary or actual salary if less than thirty-six months, divided by monthly salary used to determine the accrued liability.

(c) Any member of the fund with a minimum of twelve years of service credit applicable to eligibility for regular retirement may purchase up to five years of permissive service credit as defined in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, Section 415(n) of the Internal Revenue Code, and the corresponding Treasury regulations. The service may be purchased only in full-month increments by paying the total cost of the actuarial value of benefits to be purchased. The request to purchase permissive service credit pursuant to this Subparagraph shall be accompanied by the member's application for retirement from the fund. On the day such purchase is completed, the member shall terminate employment and retire. His retirement shall be effective on the next business day following the purchase. The board shall adopt policies and procedures for the implementation of this Subparagraph, including providing for a member to request the required actuarial calculation with the cost of such calculation to be paid by the member.

D. In the event of the death of any sheriff or deputy who has not participated in the benefits of the fund and who is not survived by a surviving wife or a dependent entitled to participate in the benefits of the fund, the board shall refund to the heir or heirs of said deceased sheriff or deputy all contributions made to the fund.

E.(1) Except as provided in this Paragraph, the board of trustees shall not authorize, grant, or pay any retirement or disability benefit to any person employed by or in the office of any sheriff of any parish of the state of Louisiana. The board may authorize, grant, or pay a retirement or disability benefit to a retiree who is reemployed in a sheriff's office on a part-time basis provided his earnings in a fiscal year shall not exceed fifty percent of final average compensation for reemployment during the twenty-four months immediately following the date of retirement and fifty-five percent of final average compensation for reemployment in the twenty-fifth month after the date of retirement and thereafter. Such part-time reemployment shall not result in any additional creditable service time, and no employer or employee contributions shall be paid on the retiree's behalf. Part-time reemployment of a retiree shall have no effect on the provisions for full-time reemployment as set forth hereafter in this Subsection.

(2) During reemployment all retirement benefits are suspended and the retired member shall be a member of the fund and contribute at the current contribution rate applicable.

(3)(a) Upon subsequent retirement, the suspended retirement allowance shall be restored to full force and effect. In addition, the retirement allowance shall be increased by an amount attributable to the service and average compensation during reemployment based on the computation formula in effect at the time of subsequent retirement. Any supplemental benefit shall be based on reemployment compensation and service credit only, except the years of reemployment service shall be added to the member's original retirement service credit to determine the supplemental service credit accrual rate for purposes of computing any supplemental benefit earned during reemployment. No change in the retirement option selected by the member shall be permitted as to the original retirement. However, the member shall be permitted to select any option authorized at the time of a second retirement as to any supplemental benefits earned by virtue of reemployment.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any retiree who returns to work full time for a minimum of three years as an active contributing member of the fund may choose to have his benefits recalculated by repaying all retirement benefits received from the fund, plus interest at the board-approved actuarial valuation rate. This Subparagraph shall apply only to members that have returned to work not later than December 31, 2008. Required payments shall be paid in one lump-sum payment prior to subsequent retirement in order to be eligible for a recalculation as provided in this Subparagraph. Upon repayment of the required amount, the member shall have restored all service credit earned and shall be subject to the provisions of law that would have otherwise been applicable had he not previously retired for the purposes of calculation of retirement benefits. This Subparagraph shall not affect the provisions of Paragraph (6) of this Subsection applicable to members that are currently eligible for recalculation of benefits.

(4) In the event of the member's death prior to subsequent retirement, payment of benefits to his surviving spouse with whom he or she is living at the time of death shall be in accordance with the option provided in R.S. 11:2178(I)(1)(b) on the supplemental benefits earned by virtue of reemployment.

(5) In no event shall the supplemental benefit exceed an amount which, when combined with the original benefit, equals one hundred percent of the average compensation figure used to compute the supplemental benefit.

(6) The provisions of this Subsection are not applicable to members reemployed prior to September 9, 1988, nor to members eligible to retire prior to September 9, 1988, who actively contribute to the system at least three years after reemployment begins. No member whose retirement or disability benefits are subject to the provisions of this Subsection shall receive a benefit while actively contributing to the system.

F. All monies ordered to be paid from the fund to any person shall be paid by the treasurer only upon warrants signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary. No warrants shall be drawn except by orders of the board, duly entered upon the records of the proceedings of the board. In case the fund, or any part thereof, is deposited in any bank, all interest or money which may be paid on account of any sum on deposit, shall belong to and constitute a part of the fund. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as authorizing the treasurer to deposit the fund or any part thereof unless so authorized by the board.

G. The board shall deposit all moneys received by it in the bank or banks, which deposits must be secured by the federal insurance plan. The board may invest moneys received by it in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 11:263.

Amended by Acts 1950, No. 53, §3; Acts 1952, No. 218, §1; Acts 1954, No. 239, §1; Acts 1956, No. 464, §1; Acts 1958, No. 173, §1; Acts 1968, No. 359; Acts 1968, No. 360, §1; Acts 1970, No. 160, §1; Acts 1979, No. 757, §1; Acts 1983, No. 217, §1; Acts 1984, No. 484, §1; Acts 1984, No. 867, §2; Acts 1985, No. 353, §1; Acts 1987, No. 153, §1; Acts 1988, No. 134, §1; Acts 1988, No. 925, §1; Acts 1990, No. 62, §1; Acts 1990, No. 482, §1; Acts 1991, No. 61, §1, eff. July 1, 1991; Redesignated from R.S. 33:1454 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1993, No. 319, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1117, §1, eff. June 30, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 837, §1, eff. July 10, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1226, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 79, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 896, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 781, §1, eff. July 1, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 271, §1, eff. June 17, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 459, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2015, No. 136, §1, eff. June 30, 2015.