§3609. Pensions and benefits

A. If a member of the police department becomes disabled for service therein for causes not arising or developing directly from his employment in the police department and for which he is, therefore, unable to collect compensation under the worker's compensation laws of Louisiana, the policeman shall, upon being found to have such disability by the board of directors, be paid monthly so long as the disability continues, a sum equal to forty-five percent of the salary earned by the employee at the time the disability arises in the case of employees who have served up to and including ten years. Employees who have served for a period of eleven years shall receive forty-six percent. Employees who have served for a period of twelve years shall receive forty-seven percent. Employees who have served for a period of thirteen years shall receive forty-eight percent. Employees who have served for a period of fourteen years shall receive forty-nine percent. Employees who have served for fifteen years shall receive fifty percent. Employees who have served for a period of sixteen years shall receive fifty-one percent. Employees who have served for a period of seventeen years shall receive fifty-two percent. Employees who have served for a period of eighteen years shall receive fifty-three percent. Employees who have served for a period of nineteen years shall receive fifty-four percent. Employees who have served for a period of twenty years shall receive fifty-five percent.

B. If a member of the police department becomes disabled by reason of an accident or sickness arising out of his service as a policeman and collects compensation under the worker's compensation laws of the state of Louisiana he shall, in addition to the compensation which he receives, receive the following benefits:

(1) With respect to members of the police department of the city of Lafayette who were employed by the Lafayette Police Department prior to August 1, 1975, the member shall be paid monthly so long as the disability continues a sum equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of his average monthly salary, including supplemental pay, the average monthly salary being based on his best twelve consecutive months of pay while in departmental service.

(2) With respect to any member of the police department of the city of Lafayette who was employed on or after August 1, 1975, the member shall be paid monthly so long as such disability continues, a sum equal to sixty-five percent of his average monthly salary, including supplemental pay, the average monthly salary being based on his twelve consecutive months of pay while in departmental service.

The benefits under either (1) or (2) above, plus the compensation, shall not exceed the amount of his normal pay. If, after the term of payments under the Louisiana worker's compensation laws has terminated, the employee still is disabled for service in the police department, he shall be entitled thereafter to receive the full amount of benefits above set forth in this Subsection during the period of such disability under either of Subsections A or B of this Section shall not be considered as serving the time in the police department so as to compute his eligibility for retirement under Subsection C of this Section.

C.(1) Any member of the police department of the city of Lafayette who was employed by the Lafayette Police Department prior to August 1, 1975, has served actively therein for a period of twenty years and has reached the age of sixty years shall be mandatorily retired from service in the department and shall be paid monthly a sum equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of his average monthly salary, including supplemental pay, the average monthly salary being based on his best twelve consecutive months of pay while in departmental service.

(2) Any member of the police department of the city of Lafayette who was employed by the Lafayette Police Department prior to August 1, 1975, and who has served actively therein for a period of twenty years shall, upon making written application to the board of directors, be retired from service in the department and shall be paid monthly a sum equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent of his average monthly salary, including supplemental pay, the average monthly salary being based on his best twelve consecutive months of pay while in departmental service.

(3) When any member of the fund who was employed by the police department on or after August 1, 1975, serves continuously and actively therein for a period of twenty-five years and has reached the age of sixty years, he shall be mandatorily retired from service in said department and shall be paid monthly a sum equal to fifty-five percent of his average monthly salary, as defined herein. However, if the employee has actively served twenty-five years, but has not yet reached the age of sixty years, he may continue in active service following his eligibility for retirement. A sum equal to fifty-seven percent of his average monthly salary as defined herein shall be paid monthly to the employees who have served actively and continuously up to and including twenty-six years. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-seven years shall receive fifty-nine percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-eight years shall receive sixty-one percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-nine years shall receive sixty-three percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of thirty years shall receive sixty-five percent of their average monthly salary. The total retirement pay in any event shall not exceed sixty-five percent of the active monthly average salary as defined herein.

(4) When any member of the fund who was employed by the police department on or after August 1, 1975, has served continuously and actively therein for a period of twenty-five years, he shall, upon making written application to the board of directors, be retired from service in the department and shall be paid monthly a sum equal to fifty-five percent of his average monthly salary as defined herein. If the employee continues in active service following his eligibility for retirement, the amount paid to him upon his final retirement shall be a sum equal to fifty-seven percent of his average monthly salary, defined herein, for those employees who have served actively and continuously up to and including twenty-six years. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-seven years shall receive fifty-nine percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-eight years shall receive sixty-one percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of twenty-nine years shall receive sixty-three percent of their average monthly salary. Employees who have served for a period of thirty years shall receive sixty-five percent of their average monthly salary. The total retirement pay in any event shall not exceed sixty-five percent of the average monthly salary as defined herein.

(5) For purposes of this Subsection, the term "average monthly salary" shall mean an employee's best twelve consecutive months of pay, including supplemental pay, while in departmental service, regardless of whether said best twelve consecutive months of pay occurred before or after the employee's original eligibility for retirement.

D. After any member of the police department has been retired upon pension by reason of disability under Subsections A or B of this Section, the board of directors shall have the right at any time to cause the retired member to be examined by any competent physician to be selected by it and also to examine other witnesses for the purpose of discovering and determining whether such disability to perform the duties of the position held at the time of his removal from active service continues, and whether such member shall be continued on the pension roll, but such member shall remain on the pension roll until final action is taken in the matter, and he shall be entitled to notice and to the right to be present in person and to be represented by counsel at any hearing of such evidence or any matter connected therewith and shall be permitted to propound any question pertinent to such matters and to introduce on his own behalf any competent evidence which he may desire. All witnesses shall be examined under oath and any member of the board of directors is hereby authorized to administer such oath. The decision of the board of directors shall be final and no appeal shall be allowed therefrom, nor shall the same be subject to review except by the said board of directors or the courts.

E. If any member of the police department, while in service of the police department or while eligible for or receiving benefits under the provisions of Subsections A, B, or C of this Section, including members of the police department who have been retired under the provisions of this Subpart and presently are receiving retirement benefits under the provisions of this Subpart, shall die from any cause whatsoever and leaves a widow, or minor children, the benefits to which the deceased would have been entitled under this Subpart shall be paid to the survivor according to the disability schedule and retirement benefits contained in Subsections A, B, and C of this Section, as follows: If the deceased leaves a widow and a minor child or children, the widow and minor child or children shall receive one hundred percent of the benefits provided for in this Subpart, however, in the event that the widow remarries, any payment to her shall immediately cease and the minor child or children shall thereupon be entitled to receive one hundred percent of the benefits until such time as they reach the age of eighteen years or are in an accredited institution of higher learning and age twenty-one, whichever is applicable. No widow shall be entitled to benefits under this Subpart unless she was married to a member of the police department before he was removed from active service and was living with him at the time of his death.

If the deceased member of the police department leaves a surviving widow and no children under the age of eighteen years, the widow shall, until she remarries, receive one hundred percent of the benefits to which he was entitled as hereinabove provided, and in the event that the deceased member leaves minor children under the age of eighteen years and no widow, the minor child or children shall be entitled to receive one hundred percent of the benefits until the child or children of the deceased member are eighteen years of age or are in an accredited institution of higher learning and age twenty-one, whichever is applicable. If the child or children are not living with the deceased member at the time of his death, then and in that event, the children shall not be entitled to any benefits payable under the provisions of this Subpart unless it is affirmatively shown that the children were dependent upon said deceased member for support and the percentage of said dependency. Then and in that event, the board shall have the exclusive right to consider all facts and to determine whether or not the children shall be entitled to benefits hereinabove provided and to determine from time to time whether the benefits should be continued or discontinued, all of which shall be entirely discretionary with the board.

F. The benefits provided in this Subpart for minor children shall be paid to the surviving parent or tutor during the minority of the child by the board unless otherwise directed by the court.

G. If an active or retired member of the police department dies as provided in Subsection E of this Section and the member has been legally separated by judicial decree from his wife or a divorce has been granted between the parties, then and in that event the board shall have exclusive right to consider all facts and determine whether or not the spouse shall be entitled to the benefits hereinabove and to determine from time to time whether the benefits should be continued or discontinued, all of which shall be entirely discretionary with the board.

H. Retired members shall receive as a death benefit, at time of death to be paid to family or surviving heirs, a sum of one thousand dollars in addition to all other benefits provided in this Subpart.

I. All other benefits herein provided for all retirees shall be subject to a cost-of-living increase as hereinafter provided. The cost-of-living index upon which these benefits shall be based is that as fixed on January 1, 1970, by the United States City Average, Consumer Price Index of the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the event that there is an increase in the United States City Average, Consumer's Price Index of the United States Department of Labor Statistics at two-year intervals from January 1st of 1970, then each policeman who is on retirement or receiving other benefits pursuant to this fund shall receive the percentage of increase in his pension by the same amount that the Consumer Price Index herein referred to has increased in the two-year period. In the event the above amount is more than two percent, then only a two-percent increase of the amount a member is receiving as retirement pay, shall be allowed. Effective January 1, 1980, this cost-of-living adjustment shall be computed at one-year intervals rather than two-year intervals and the adjustments shall be made on a yearly basis rather than every two years. The two-percent limitation shall then be applied to yearly increases.

J. A member retiring after August 1, 1973, will be allowed to keep the same hospitalization insurance coverage as a policeman on active duty with the Lafayette Police Department, subject to the following conditions:

(1)(a) The city of Lafayette shall pay the same amount of insurance premium that it pays for a policeman on active duty.

(b) The member shall be responsible for paying the difference between the single employee premium and the family premium.

(c) The same company who insures the policemen on active duty shall insure the retired members.

(d) In the event that the city of Lafayette changes insurer, then the company that insures the policemen on active duty will also insure the retired members and their families.

(e) The insurer shall provide the same amount of benefits to a retired policeman as a policeman on active duty and any increase of benefits shall apply equally to both.

(f) A retired member shall be allowed to keep this insurance coverage until he reaches age sixty-five.

(g) A retired member shall pay the same amount of increase of premium, if any, as a policeman on active duty and the city of Lafayette, together, would for any increase in family coverage.

(2) A copy of the retirement application filed and sent to the director of administration of the city of Lafayette shall be sufficient to direct the city of Lafayette to provide this benefit.

Added by Acts 1975, No. 549, §1. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 646, §1; Acts 1979, No. 743, §1, eff. July 31, 1979; Acts 1983, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 1, §6; Acts 1991, No. 716, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 33:2385.8 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §§3, 5, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1993, No. 364, §1; 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)).