§728. Prior service credit

A. Any member of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana may receive credit for service as a teacher, as the term "teacher" is defined in R.S. 11:701, and/or for service in any agency in Louisiana, provided he meets the requirements set forth below, and provided the application for such purchase is received by the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana prior to the date of retirement or the beginning date of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan participation and the purchase is finalized before the retirement or Deferred Retirement Option Plan participation date:

(1) Credit for teaching service canceled by the withdrawal of accumulated contributions by a member may be restored by the payment to the system of the amount withdrawn plus interest from the date withdrawn until paid.

(2) Service prior to the 1936-37 school year is considered prior service and credit as to teacher and/or for state service shall be allowed without cost to the member for such service.

(3) In order to purchase and receive credit for teaching service or other state service, or both, where such service is rendered subsequent to July 1, 1936, except for restoration of teaching service canceled by the withdrawal of accumulated contributions the purchase of such service credit shall be under the provisions of R.S. 11:158.

(4) Payments to be made under the provisions of this Section shall be made in a lump sum. Effective January 1, 2002, payment for service credit under this Section shall be allowed by a trustee-to-trustee transfer of funds from a Code Section 403(b) annuity or a Code Section 457 plan to the system; provided that no purchase of service credit under this Section shall be allowed by a trustee-to-trustee transfer of funds from a Code Section 403(b) annuity or a Code Section 457 plan to the pension after December 31, 2010.

(5) As used herein, interest means the interest at board-approved actuarial valuation rate.

B.(1)(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Chapter or any other provision of law, any member of the system shall be eligible to obtain credit for teaching service rendered in the public school system of any other state or possession or territory of the United States if he satisfies all of the following criteria:

(i) He does not have credit in another public retirement system or fund for such teaching service.

(ii) The retirement system or fund he was in while employed as a teacher in another state or possession or territory of the United States certifies that the person no longer has any service credit in that system.

(b)(i) To obtain credit for the service set forth in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the member shall apply to the board of trustees of the system for such credit and shall furnish such detailed statement of all such service for which credit is being claimed as the board may require.

(ii) Additionally, there shall be paid to the system an amount calculated in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 11:158. Amounts paid to establish credit for teaching service in another state or possession or territory of the United States shall be credited to the member's account in the Annuity Savings Fund. Such amounts purchased shall be paid in one lump sum.

(2) The board of trustees shall fix and determine by appropriate rules and regulations the amount of service in any one year which shall be equivalent to one year of service, but in no case shall more than one year of service be credited for all service rendered in any one fiscal year.

C.(1)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter or of any other law to the contrary, any person who is a member of this system shall be eligible to obtain credit in this system for teaching service rendered in any charter school, nonpublic college or university in Louisiana, or state approved elementary or secondary nonpublic or parochial school in Louisiana.

(b)(i) To obtain credit for the service set forth in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the member shall, prior to the date of the member's application for retirement, submit an application to the board of trustees for such credit and shall furnish a detailed statement of all service for which credit is claimed in such form as the board may require.

(ii) In addition, if the member is eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for such service, there shall be paid into the system an amount equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of his service in charter schools or nonpublic or parochial schools or colleges should he retire at the time credit for such service is established.

(iii) If the member is not eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for service in charter schools or nonpublic or parochial schools or colleges, there shall be paid into the system an amount which, if invested at regular interest, would accumulate to an amount equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of his service in charter schools or nonpublic or parochial schools or colleges should the member continue until the earliest date he is eligible to retire.

(2)(a) In determining the present value of the additional benefit payable on account of service in charter schools or nonpublic or parochial schools or colleges and the amounts to be paid for credit for such service, regular interest, salary scales used to project future salary increases, and the tables of the system as adopted by the board of trustees shall be utilized.

(b) Amounts paid to establish credit for teaching service in charter schools or nonpublic or parochial schools or colleges shall be credited to the member's account in the Annuity Savings Fund. Such amounts shall be paid in one lump sum.

(3) The board of trustees shall fix and determine by appropriate rules and regulations the amount of service in any year which shall be equivalent to one year of service, but in no case shall more than one year of service be credited for all service rendered in any one fiscal year. Subject to these restrictions and any other pertinent rules or regulations adopted by it, the board shall verify the statement of service therein claimed as soon as practicable after the statement of service is filed.

D. Repealed by Acts 1999, No. 47, §2, eff. July 1, 1999.

E. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person who is a member of this system and who has rendered service as a member of a school board shall be eligible to obtain creditable service in this system for service rendered as a member of a school board, for which he does not have credit in this or any other public retirement system, excluding social security. In order to obtain such credit, the member shall make application to the board of trustees for such credit and shall furnish a detailed statement of all service for which credit is claimed in such form as the board may require. In addition, there shall be paid into the system a sum equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of his prior service should the member retire at the time credit for such service is established if he is eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for the service, or an amount which, if invested at an interest rate as set by the board of trustees, would accumulate to an amount equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of his prior service should the member continue until the earliest date he is eligible to retire if he is not eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for the service. Of this sum, the member shall pay an amount equal to the employee contributions which would have been paid during the period for which credit is claimed had this system been applicable to the service during the time for which credit is claimed, plus interest thereon, as set by the board of trustees, annually, from the date of service until paid, and the school board of which the member is a member may pay the difference. In the event that any school board opts to pay the difference between the present value of any additional retirement benefit payable and the amount to be paid by any member making such application as described above, the school board shall also pay the described amount for all persons who make similar application. If agreed to by the board of trustees, and under terms and conditions set by the board, the required payments may be paid in installments, but in any case, the payments shall be paid in full prior to the date of application for retirement.

F.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person who is a member of this system and who has taught the equivalent of kindergarten through high school classes at any United States dependent school shall be eligible to obtain credit in this system for such service rendered during that period, for which credit has not otherwise been given. In order to obtain this credit, the member shall make application therefor and furnish to the board of trustees a detailed statement of all service for which credit is claimed, in such form as the board may require. The board shall determine whether the facility at which such classes were taught is a United States dependent school.

(2)(a) If the member is eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for such service, there shall be paid into the system an amount equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of the purchase of such service should he retire at the time credit for such service is established.

(b) If the member is not eligible to retire at the time he establishes credit for such service, there shall be paid into the system an amount which, if invested at regular interest, would accumulate to an amount equal to the present value of the additional retirement benefit payable on account of the purchase of such service should the member continue until the earliest date he is eligible to retire.

(3) In determining the present value of the additional benefit payable on account of the purchase of such service and the amounts to be paid for such service, regular interest, salary scales used to project future salary increases, and the tables of the system as adopted by the board of trustees shall be employed. Amounts paid to establish credit for such service shall be credited to the member's account in the Annuity Savings Fund. Such contributions shall be paid in one lump sum prior to the date of application for retirement.

Added by Acts 1954, No. 3, §1; Amended by Acts 1956, No. 224, §1; Acts 1958, No. 520, §1; Acts 1959, No. 116, §1; Acts 1960, No. 179, §1; Acts 1962, No. 242, §1; Acts 1963, No. 86, §1; Acts 1963, No. 88, §§1, 2; Acts 1964, No. 181, §1; Acts 1964, No. 328, §1; Acts 1964, No. 391, §1; Acts 1964, No. 394, §1; Acts 1965, No. 117, §1; Acts 1970, No. 493, §1; Acts 1971, No. 111, §1; Acts 1972, No. 525, §1; Acts 1972, No. 620, §1; Acts 1975, Ex. Sess., No. 3, §2, eff. June 1, 1975; Acts 1977, No. 743, §1; Acts 1983, No. 136, §1; Acts 1985, No. 956, §2, eff. July 23, 1985; Acts 1985, No. 676, §1; Acts 1987, No. 531, §1, eff. July 9, 1987; Redesignated from R.S. 17:600 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 371, §1; Acts 1993, No. 597, §1, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 1997, No. 1202, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1353, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 47, §§1, 2, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 1174, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 199, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2003, No. 536, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2010, No. 637, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 999, §1; Acts 2012, No. 298, §1, eff. July 1, 2012.