§2225. Administration

A.(1) The general administration and responsibility for the proper operation of the retirement system and for making effective the provisions of this Chapter are hereby vested in a board of trustees which shall be organized immediately after a majority of the trustees provided for in this Section shall have qualified and taken the oath of office.

(2)(a) The board shall consist of fifteen trustees as follows: Seven members, three of whom shall not be chiefs of police but shall be active contributing members of the system with ten or more years of creditable service, and four of whom shall be active contributing chiefs of police, with four or more years of creditable service provided that no municipal police department shall have more than one member and one chief of police on the board at the same time; two regular retirees of the system, one retired from Chiefs District I and one retired from Chiefs District II as those districts are comprised in Subparagraphs (b) and (c) of this Paragraph; three ex officio trustees to include the chairman of the Senate Committee on Retirement or his designee, the commissioner of administration or his designee, and the state treasurer or his designee; a member of the House Committee on Retirement appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives or the member's designee; and two mayors appointed by the Louisiana Municipal Association from municipalities having police departments participating in the system, to serve at the pleasure of the Louisiana Municipal Association. The retired trustees shall be elected by the retired members of the system for a term of five years with the first retired trustees' terms to commence on July 1, 1997. Whenever the term of a board member expires, the term of the newly elected board member shall be for a term of five years. The director of the retirement system shall be selected by the board of trustees. Election of members shall be under such rules and regulations as the board of trustees shall establish.

(b) The successor of the member of the board of trustees whose term expires on or about June 30, 1992 shall be elected in the following manner. A member who is a chief of police shall be elected to the board for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1992 from Chiefs District II, which shall be composed of the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, and West Baton Rouge.

(c) The successors of the members of the board of trustees whose terms expire on or about June 30, 1988 shall be elected as follows:

(i) Two members who are chiefs of police shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1988 from a district to be called Chiefs District I, which shall be composed of the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

(ii) One member who is a chief of police shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1988 from Chiefs District II, as described in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.

(d) The successor of the member of the board of trustees whose term expires on or about June 30, 1989 shall be elected in the following manner. A member who is not a chief of police shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1989 from a district to be called Non-chief District III, which shall be composed of the parish of Orleans.

(e) The successor of the member of the board of trustees whose term expires on or about June 30, 1990 shall be elected in the following manner. A member who is not a chief of police shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1990 from a district to be called Non-chief District II, which shall be composed of the parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, and West Baton Rouge.

(f) The successor of the member of the board of trustees whose term expires on or about June 30, 1991 shall be elected in the following manner. A member who is not a chief of police shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1991 from a district to be called Non-chief District I, which shall be composed of the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

(g) The term of the member of the board of trustees which would expire on or about June 30, 1986 shall be extended until October 31, 1987. The board of trustees shall schedule and hold an election prior to October 31, 1987 for election of a member to the board of trustees who shall serve from November 1, 1987 through June 30, 1991. This election shall be held statewide. The term of the member of the board of trustees which would expire on or about June 30, 1987 shall be extended until October 31, 1987. The board of trustees shall schedule and hold an election in Chiefs District II prior to October 31, 1987 for election of a member to the board of trustees who shall serve from November 1, 1987 through June 30, 1992.

(3)(a) If a vacancy occurs in the office of a trustee, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the office was previously filled. If a member of the board of trustees elects to participate in the deferred retirement option plan he shall continue to serve as a member of the board of trustees until the expiration of the term for which he was elected or until his employment terminates, whichever occurs first. All members of the board of trustees elected to terms beginning on or after November 2, 1987, shall be employees of the district from which they are elected and shall be elected under rules of the board of trustees by the members employed in that district. Every active member shall be eligible to vote for the chief and nonchief positions on the board of trustees in the districts which include the parish of their employment.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section or any other provision of law to the contrary, the term of office for one member of the board of trustees representing Chiefs District I who is serving on the board of trustees on July 1, 1993, shall be considered as having been elected for a one-time term of four years beginning July 1, 1993, and ending on or about June 30, 1997. The board of trustees shall designate on or before June 30, 1993, which member of the board of trustees representing Chiefs District I shall fill the four-year term. The successor of the member of the board of trustees representing Chiefs District I whose term expires on or about June 30, 1997, shall be elected to the board of trustees for a term of five years beginning July 1, 1997.

(4) The trustees shall receive for attendance at meetings of the board, not to exceed fifteen meetings per annum, a per diem of seventy-five dollars per day plus the normal expense allowance allowed state employees by the division of administration, provided funds are available for this purpose.

(5) Each trustee shall, within thirty days after the beginning of his term of office take an oath of office that, so far as it devolves upon him, he will diligently and honestly administer the affairs of the said board, and that he will not knowingly violate or willingly permit to be violated any of the provisions of law applicable to the retirement system. Such oath shall be subscribed to by the member making it, and certified by the officer before whom it is taken, and immediately filed in the office of the secretary of state.

(6) Each trustee shall be entitled to one vote on the board. Eight trustees shall constitute a quorum for any board meeting, and a majority vote of the trustees present shall be necessary for a decision by the trustees at any meeting of the board.

(7)(a) The board of trustees is authorized to use interest earnings on investments of the system in excess of normal requirements, as determined by the actuary, to provide a cost-of-living increase in benefits for retired members, survivors, and beneficiaries in an amount not to exceed three percent of the original benefit. These increases shall be effective as of July 1, 1980, and annually each July first thereafter; however, no retiree, survivor, or beneficiary herein shall be eligible to receive a cost-of-living increase until benefits have been received for at least one year.

(b) In lieu of the cost-of-living increase authorized by Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, effective July 1, 1996, and annually each July first thereafter, the board of trustees is authorized to use interest earnings on investments of the system in excess of normal requirements, as determined by the actuary, to provide a cost-of-living increase in benefits in an amount not to exceed three percent of the benefit being received at the time the cost-of-living increase is to be paid and which increase shall be applicable to retired members, survivors, and beneficiaries of record on July first of the immediate preceding year.

(c)(i) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in particular R.S. 11:242, the board of trustees is authorized to provide a permanent monthly cost-of-living adjustment for retirees, survivors, and beneficiaries who would otherwise be eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment pursuant to this Paragraph. The cost-of-living adjustment shall be payable in a monthly amount not to exceed three percent of the normal monthly benefit payable to the retiree, survivor, or beneficiary on the date the increase is granted but shall not be less than twenty dollars per month.

(ii) The authority of the board of trustees to provide the cost-of-living adjustment provided in this Subparagraph shall become effective July 1, 2008. The authority of the board of trustees to provide the cost-of-living adjustment shall be nonrecurring, and the board of trustees shall not grant more than one cost-of-living adjustment pursuant to Item (i) of this Subparagraph.

(d) The benefits authorized by Subparagraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Paragraph shall be paid only when funds are available from interest earnings on investments of the system in excess of normal requirements, as determined by the actuary, and payments shall be made in such manner and in such amounts as may be determined by the board of trustees in accordance with this Paragraph and based on the funds available. Any adjustment to benefits for cost-of-living changes made by formal action of the board of trustees as provided herein shall be considered amendments to the provisions of the retirement system. If made by formal action of the board of trustees, such changes must be disclosed to members of the retirement system.

(8) A majority of the board of trustees shall elect from its membership a chairman. A majority of the board shall also appoint a director to the board, and define his duties and set his compensation. The board of trustees shall engage such actuarial and other services as shall be required to transact the business of the retirement system. The compensation of all persons engaged by the board of trustees, and all other expenses of the board necessary for the operation of the retirement system shall be paid at such rates and in such amounts as the board of trustees shall approve.

(9) The board of trustees shall keep in convenient form such data as shall be necessary for actuarial valuation of the various funds of the retirement system, and for checking the experience of the system.

(10) The board of trustees shall keep a record of all of its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection. It shall publish annually a report showing the fiscal transactions of the retirement system for the preceding fiscal year, the amount of the accumulated cash and securities of the system, and the last balance sheet showing the financial condition of the system by means of an actuarial valuation of the assets and liabilities of the retirement system.

(11)(a)(i) Every municipality which has a police retirement plan or system shall merge its active members into the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System and such merger shall be binding on all parties; however, any merger of the law enforcement members of the Baton Rouge City Parish Employees' Retirement System into this system shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 11:2214(A)(2)(b)(ii) and Item (ii) of this Subparagraph. Such merger shall be preceded by an actuarial investigation of the assets and liabilities of the system being merged. The municipalities which provide retirement with sixteen, twenty, or twenty-five years of service credit at any age shall guarantee and pay its regular retirement benefits to any employee who takes a deferred retirement with sixteen, twenty, or twenty-five years of service credit prior to reaching age fifty or fifty-five until the retiree reaches the age of fifty or fifty-five and is eligible to receive a benefit from the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System. The municipality paying the benefit shall in computing said benefit use the salary and all years of service credit that would have been used had no merger taken place and if the municipality is one where military service credit cannot be purchased until the member has twenty years of service credit, the computation of the benefit shall not include any years of military service credit unless the member actually has twenty years of service credit without the military service credit. The municipality shall pay to the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System in one cash payment an amount equal to sixty percent of the accrued liability, as determined or approved by the actuary for the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System, for all members and service credit merged or at the option of the municipality, such payment may be made in annual payments plus seven percent interest compounded annually over a period not exceeding thirty years.

(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the consolidated government of the city of Baton Rouge and parish of East Baton Rouge may merge into this system less than all of the active law enforcement members of the Baton Rouge City Parish Employees' Retirement System meeting the definition of "employee" under the provisions of this Chapter. Such a partial merger shall be undertaken subsequent to a one time, thirty day election period, to be conducted by the consolidated government of the city of Baton Rouge and parish of East Baton Rouge. During this election period, each active law enforcement member may elect either to maintain his individual membership in the Baton Rouge City Parish Employees' Retirement System or transfer his membership to this retirement system. Such election shall be irrevocable. Any partial merger of these active law enforcement employees into this system shall be preceded by an actuarial investigation of the assets and liabilities in the system to the credit of the employees being merged. To each employee electing to avail himself of the provisions of this Item, the consolidated government shall guarantee by individual guarantee of benefits contracts with each individual employee electing to merge additional benefits not payable under the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System. The municipality shall pay to the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System in one cash payment an amount equal to sixty percent of the accrued liability, as determined or approved by the actuary for this system, for all members and service credit merged or at the option of the municipality, such payment may be made in annual payments plus seven percent interest compounded annually over a period not exceeding thirty years. Subsequent to such partial merger, all newly hired law enforcement employees meeting the definition of "employee" as contained in this Chapter shall be enrolled in this system as a condition of employment. This Item shall be subject to Subparagraphs (b) through (h) of this Paragraph.

(b) Any municipality which has a police retirement plan or system may merge its retirees, beneficiaries, or survivors into the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System and such merger shall be binding on all parties. Such merger shall be preceded by an actuarial investigation of the accrued liability for such retirees, beneficiaries, or survivors and the municipality shall pay in one cash payment an amount equal to the accrued liability for the retirees, beneficiaries, or survivors or at the option of the municipality it shall pay the accrued liability for all retirees, beneficiaries, or survivors in annual payments plus seven percent interest compounded annually over a period not exceeding thirty years.

(c) Should any municipality fail to make any payments provided herein the board of trustees of the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System may proceed to collect such amounts with interest at the rate of legal interest by action in a court of competent jurisdiction against the municipality liable therefor or such amounts shall, upon due certification of delinquency and at the request of the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System, be deducted from any other monies payable to such municipality by any department or agency of the state.

(d) Should any municipality fail to pay any of the guaranteed retirement benefits to any member who takes a deferred retirement from the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System as provided herein, the board of trustees of the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System shall proceed after sixty days to collect sufficient funds and pay said benefits. Sufficient funds to pay said benefits shall, upon due certification of delinquency and at the request of the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System, be deducted from any monies payable to such municipality by any department or agency of the state.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any police officer who is a member of any municipal retirement system, shall be eligible to enter into a merger agreement where the individual officer and this system are the sole parties to the agreement; provided that the municipal retirement system is not a police retirement plan or system that is subject to the mandatory merger requirements set forth in this Section. The merger shall be accomplished by transferring all of the member's individual accredited service along with all of the employee and employer contributions plus interest at the board-approved actuarial valuation rate of the transferring system. If the funds transferred are less than sixty percent of the liabilities transferred under the merger, the member shall pay the balance up to the sixty percent requirement. The remaining amount due shall be paid from the fund established in R.S. 22:1476(A) for the merger of retirement systems and funds with this system. This Subparagraph shall be subject to the provisions of Subparagraph (d) of this Paragraph.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any municipal police department which, as a result of administrative error, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, enrolled its police officers in social security, and which department has been notified by the Social Security Administration that its police officers are not eligible for social security, shall be allowed to merge all active members, retirees, beneficiaries, and survivors into this system. The merger shall be accomplished, after actuarial investigation of the accrued liabilities being merged, by the payment by the municipality of all refunds of employer and employee contributions from social security, plus interest thereon from the date of the refund until the date of the merger, which amount shall be deducted from the total accrued liability, with the resulting amount of the accrued liabilities due to be paid from the fund established in R.S. 22:1476(A) for the merger of retirement systems and funds with this system. Payments from this fund shall be made as determined by the Public Retirement System's Actuarial Committee.

(g) Any person who is employed by a municipal police department and who is merged into this system under the provisions of Subparagraph (f) of this Paragraph, and who is eligible for and receives federal social security benefits as the result of contributions made for service with the municipal police department, shall be subject to the offset provisions set forth in Subparagraph (h) of this Paragraph.

(h) The retirement benefit received from this system by any person covered by Subparagraph (g) of this Paragraph shall be offset by the full amount of the federal social security benefit attributable to service with the municipal police department. The total of both benefits shall not exceed the retirement benefit to which the member is entitled to receive from this system. The offset shall be applicable only to that percentage of the total social security benefit attributable to the number of contribution quarters for service with the municipal police department, divided by the total of all contribution quarters used in the calculation of the social security benefit.

(12) The mandatory merger requirement of Paragraph (11) of this Subsection shall be inapplicable with respect to any municipality, which enacts an ordinance exempting the municipality from the mandatory requirements of Paragraph (11). However, should any municipality which enacts the ordinance authorized by this Paragraph choose to merge its active members, retirees, beneficiaries, or survivors into this system, all provisions and requirements of Paragraph (11) must be complied with.

B. The retirement system shall take all actions necessary to comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to qualified governmental retirement plans. Amendments to the fund required for the purpose of maintaining continued compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder that do not require legislative action shall be promulgated as rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and the plan provisions shall hereafter consist of this Chapter together with such properly promulgated rules.

C. The board of trustees shall designate a medical board to be composed of three physicians not eligible to participate in the retirement system. If required, other physicians may be employed to report on special cases. The medical board shall arrange for and pass upon all medical examinations required under the provisions of this Chapter, and shall investigate all essential statements and certificates by or on behalf of a member in connection with an application for disability retirement, and shall report in writing to the board of trustees its conclusion and recommendations upon the matters referred to it.

D.(1) The board of trustees shall designate an actuary who shall be the technical advisor of the board of trustees on matters regarding the operation of the fund created by the provisions of this Chapter, and shall perform such other duties as are required in connection therewith.

(2) Immediately after the establishment of the retirement system, the actuary shall make such investigation of the mortality, service and compensation experience of the members of the system as he shall recommend and the board of trustees shall authorize, and on the basis of such investigation he shall recommend for adoption by the board of trustees such tables and such rates as are required in Subparagraphs (3)(a) and (b) of this Subsection. The board of trustees shall adopt tables and certify rates, and as soon as practicable thereafter the actuary shall make a valuation based on such tables and rates of the assets and liabilities of the funds created by this Chapter.

(3) In the year of 1974, and at least once in each five-year period thereafter, the actuary shall make an actuarial investigation into the mortality, service and compensation experience of the members and beneficiaries of the retirement system, and shall make a valuation of the assets and liabilities of the funds of the system, and taking into account the result of such investigation and valuation, the board of trustees shall:

(a) Adopt for the retirement system such mortality, service and other tables as shall be deemed necessary; and

(b) Certify the rates of contribution payable by the employer on account of the new entrants.

(4) On the basis of such tables as the board of trustees shall adopt, the actuary shall make an annual valuation of the assets and liabilities of the funds of the system created by this Chapter.

(5)(a) Unless different actuarial assumptions are formally adopted and disclosed, as provided herein, the following assumptions shall determine the actuarial equivalents as used in this retirement system:

(i) Interest shall be compounded annually at the rate of seven percent per annum.

(ii) Annuity rates shall be determined on the basis of the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Tables.

(b) The board of trustees may authorize the use of interest and mortality rates in determining the actuarial equivalents which are different from the actuarial assumptions used for other purposes hereunder. Any change in such actuarial assumptions shall be considered a part of this retirement system and shall be considered an amendment to the provisions of this Section. In order to be effective, such change must be formally adopted by the board of trustees and disclosed to members of the retirement system.

E. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the board of trustees shall not have the right to collect overpayments of a survivor benefit paid in administrative error prior to June 30, 2018, to the surviving child of a member whose death occurred on or before June 30, 2017, except in the case of fraud.

Added by Acts 1973, No. 189, §1. Amended by Acts 1974, No. 389, §§1, 2; Acts 1975, No. 377, §1; Acts 1976, No. 603, §5; Acts 1977, No. 601, §1; Acts 1980, No. 796, §1; Acts 1981, No. 670, §1; Acts 1982, No. 585, §1; Acts 1984, No. 31, §1; Acts 1985, No. 776, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1985; Acts 1987, No. 555, §1; Acts 1988, No. 9, §1; Acts 1988, No. 83, §2; Acts 1988, No. 84, §1; Acts 1988, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 6, §3, eff. Oct. 31, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 49, §1; Acts 1990, No. 430, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Redesignated from R.S. 33:2378 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 262, §1; Acts 1993, No. 330, §1, eff. June 3, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 222, §1; Acts 1995, No. 867, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1030, §1, eff. June 17, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 23, §1; Acts 1997, No. 156, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1227, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 15, §1, eff. April 24, 1998; Acts 1999, No. 1320, §1, eff. July 12, 1999; Acts 2007, No. 232, §1, eff. July 2, 2007; Acts 2008, No. 113, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 415, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2011, No. 238, §1, eff. June 30, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 511, §1, eff. June 5, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 621, §1, eff. June 17, 2016; Acts 2018, No. 345, §1, eff. June 30, 2018.