§3200. Pensions and benefits

Pensions and benefits shall be as follows:

(1) If any member of the fire department while in the active service of the fire department is found by the board of trustees to be totally, physically, or mentally disabled for service in the fire department by reason of service in the fire department, he shall receive monthly from the fund so long as the disability shall continue or until he becomes eligible for retirement on service basis, whichever is sooner, a sum which, with the benefits from the Worker's Compensation Act, shall be equal to seventy-five percent of the monthly salary of the active member of the fire department holding the position corresponding to that held by the beneficiary at the time that he acquired the disability.

(2) If any member of the fire department having at least ten years of creditable service and while in the active service is found by the board of trustees to be totally disabled from either physical or mental causes for service in the fire department by reason of causes not arising or developing directly from his employment in the fire department, save and except any disability which may arise from the commission or attempted commission of a misdemeanor or felony or use of any drug or intoxicating liquor to such extent as to become under the influence thereof or due to his negligence, he shall receive monthly from the fund so long as the disability shall continue or until he becomes eligible for retirement on service basis, whichever is sooner, a sum equal to thirty-three and one-third percent of the monthly salary of the active member of the fire department holding the position corresponding to that held by the beneficiary at the time he acquired the disability, plus an additional two percent of such salary for each year of active service rendered over five years; provided, however, that the maximum benefit shall be sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the monthly salary of the active member of the fire department holding the position corresponding to that held by the beneficiary at the time he acquired the disability, computed on the basis of the respective months. Provided further that the time elapsing while the member is receiving benefits under this Paragraph shall not be considered as time served in the fire department by the member and shall not be included as "time served" in determining eligibility for retirement under this Part. Provided further, however, that if the member who has been disabled for service in the fire department for causes not arising or developing directly from his employment in the fire department has served as a member of the fire department continuously for a period of ten years at the time of disability, he shall be eligible for retirement without serving the full twenty years as stipulated in Paragraph (3) of this Section.

(3) That any member of the said fire department employed prior to January 1, 1963, who serves in said fire department for a period of twenty years, or any member employed after December 31, 1962, who serves in said fire department for a period of twenty-five years, or any member employed on or after January 1, 1965, who serves in said fire department for a period of twenty years shall, upon making proper written application to the said board of trustees requesting it, be retired from the service in said fire department and shall be paid a monthly sum equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the monthly salary of the active member of said fire department holding the position corresponding to that held by the beneficiary at the time of his retirement, and an additional amount equal to one percent of such salary for each year of service after said member has reached the age of fifty years and after he shall have served twenty years: provided, however, that the maximum benefit shall not exceed seventy-five percent of said salary.

(4) After any member of such fire department shall have been retired upon pension by reason of disability, the said board of trustees shall have the right at any time, to cause retired member to be brought before it and again examined by the city physician and or other competent physicians and surgeons, to be selected by it, and also to examine other witnesses for the purpose of discovering whether such disability to perform the duties of the position held at the time of his removal from active service yet continues, and whether such retired member shall be continued on the pension roll, but such retired member shall remain upon the pension roll until reinstated to his former rank in the active service of said fire department. Such retired member shall be entitled to notice and to be present at the hearing of any such evidence, or shall be permitted to propound any questions pertinent or relevant to such matter, and shall also have the right to introduce upon his own behalf any competent evidence he may see fit. All witnesses so produced shall be examined under oath to such witness. The decision of said board of trustees shall be final and conclusive and no appeal shall be allowed therefrom, nor shall the same be subject to review, except by said board of trustees or upon proper application to the courts.

(5) That if any member of said fire department, while in the service of said fire department or while eligible for or receiving benefits under the provisions of this Part, shall die from any cause, and leave a widow surviving, said Board shall direct the payment monthly from the said Fund to such widow, during the remainder of her life, and while she remains unmarried, fifty per cent of the benefits to which such deceased member would be entitled, were he the direct beneficiary, to be computed at the time such payment is made; each surviving minor child under the age of eighteen years shall receive twenty-four per cent of the said benefit which would be otherwise payable to the deceased member, if he were the direct beneficiary; provided further, that said payment to said children shall continue after the remarriage of said widow, but not after the marriage of respective children. Provided further that no widow be entitled to or receive the benefits from this Part unless she was married to such member prior to his removal from active service and living with him at the time of death. Provided further, however, that the total sum payable to said deceased family shall not exceed sixty-six and two-thirds per cent of his salary.

(6) That whenever an active or retired member of the fire department shall die as set out in Paragraph (5) of this Section, the board of trustees shall appropriate from the fund the sum of one thousand dollars for funeral and burial expenses of the deceased member.

(7) In the event of the death of a member of said fire department as aforesaid in Paragraph (5) of this Section leaving no wife but a child or children, each child shall receive thirty per cent of the benefits to which such deceased member would be entitled were he the direct beneficiary; provided further that these benefits shall be payable until such child reaches the age of eighteen years or marries, whichever is sooner. Provided further, however, that the total sum payable to said deceased's family shall not exceed sixty-six and two-thirds percent of his salary.

(8) The benefits provided in Paragraphs (1) and (2) may continue only until the time the said member would have been eligible for retirement under the provisions of this Part, had he continued in active service; and at such time he shall receive the benefits provided for under the retirement provisions of this Part, if he is eligible therefor.

(9) The benefits provided in this Part for minor children shall be paid to the surviving parent during the minority of said child, unless otherwise directed by said Board.

(10) In the event a member of the said fire department shall die of any cause, while eligible for or receiving benefits under the provisions of this Part and leave a father and/or mother directly dependent upon him for support, and maintenance, the board at its discretion may grant and pay such father and/or mother such portion of the pension which would be payable to the deceased member were he the direct beneficiary as they may find advisable. Provided further that this Paragraph shall not operate in such manner as to effect or diminish any benefits provided herein for surviving widows and/or children.

(11) No member or other beneficiary designated in this Part shall be entitled to or receive the benefits herein provided so long as he shall receive from the said fire department a sum equal to or greater than the benefits to which he would otherwise be entitled under this Part; in the event such sum so received should be less than the said amount of the benefits provided herein, the benefits payable shall be reduced in an amount equal to the sum received from the said fire department.

(12) Deferred retirement option plan.

(a) In lieu of terminating employment and accepting a service retirement allowance under Paragraph (3) of this Section, any member of this system who is eligible to receive a service retirement allowance may elect to participate in the deferred retirement option plan and defer the receipt of benefits in accordance with the provisions of this Paragraph.

(b) For purposes of this Paragraph, creditable service for eligibility purposes only shall include service credit reciprocally recognized under R.S. 42:697.

(c) The duration of participation in the plan shall be specified and shall not exceed three years. Any person who is currently in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan shall be permitted to extend their participation in the plan for one additional year.

(d) A member may participate in the plan only once.

(e)(i) Upon the effective date of the commencement of participation in the plan, membership in the system shall terminate and neither employee nor employer contributions shall be payable.

(ii) For purposes of this Paragraph, compensation and creditable service shall remain as they existed on the effective date of commencement of participation in the plan.

(iii) The monthly retirement benefits that would have been payable, had the member elected to cease employment and receive a service retirement allowance, shall be paid into the deferred retirement option plan account.

(iv) Upon termination of employment, deferred benefits shall be payable as provided by Subparagraph (h) hereof.

(f)(i) A person who participates in this program shall not be eligible to receive a cost-of-living increase while participating and shall not be eligible until his employment which makes him eligible to be a member of this plan has been terminated for at least one full year.

(ii) All amounts which remain credited to the individual's account balance in the plan at the end of each plan year shall earn interest at a rate of one-half of one percentage point below the percentage rate of return of the system's investment portfolio as certified by the actuary in his yearly evaluation report, said interest to be credited to his individual account balance on an annual basis.

(g) The deferred retirement option plan account shall not be subject to any fees, charges, or other similar expenses of any kind for any purpose.

(h) Upon termination of employment at the end of the specified period of participation, the monthly benefits that were being paid into the fund during the period of participation shall begin being paid to the retiree. A participant in the program shall receive, at his option, a lump sum payment from the account equal to the payments to the account, or a true annuity based upon his account, or he may elect any other method of payment if approved by the board of trustees.

(i)(i)(aa) If a participant dies during the period of participation in the program, and he has selected an optional allowance designating his spouse as beneficiary, such beneficiary shall receive, at the beneficiary's option, a lump sum payment of the participant's account balance, or the beneficiary may elect any other method of payment approved by the board of trustees as if the participant had retired on the date of death; in addition, the normal benefits payable to the designated beneficiary under the option selected shall be payable.

(bb) In the event the designated beneficiary is not the participant's spouse, and is entitled to monthly benefits under the option selected, such beneficiary shall receive, at the beneficiary's option, a lump sum payment of the participant's account balance or the beneficiary may elect to receive the balance in the account under any method that will cause a total distribution of the account over a period not to exceed five years; in addition, the normal benefits payable to the designated beneficiary under the option selected shall become payable.

(cc) If there is no designated beneficiary, a lump sum payment of the participant's account balance shall be paid to his estate.

(ii) If a participant terminates employment prior to the end of the specified period of participation, the monthly benefits that were paid into the fund during the period of participation shall begin being paid to the retiree. He shall receive, at his option, a lump sum payment from the account equal to the payments to the account, or a true annuity based upon his account balance, or he may elect any other method of payment if approved by the board of trustees.

(j) If a member of the board of trustees of the fund 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.

(k) If the employee elects not to terminate employment at the end of the period specified for participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, payments into the plan shall cease and the person shall resume active contributing membership in the system.

Designated from Acts 1952, No. 15, §11 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1993, No. 363, §1, eff. June 3, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 306, §1; Acts 1995, No. 579, §1; Acts 1995, No. 580, §1; Acts 2001, No. 411, §1, eff. June 15, 2001; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE: Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).