§735. Contributions and benefits of legislators

A.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 24:36 or of any other laws to the contrary, which are, for purposes of this Section, superseded, but only insofar as they are in conflict herewith, any member of this system who is initially elected to the legislature after September 9, 1977, shall have the option, which once exercised shall be irrevocable, of contributing, while a member of the legislature, as the employee contribution to this system, the percentage set by R.S. 11:62(11)(c) plus the four percent that he contributes as a member of the legislature in accordance with R.S. 24:36 of any of the following:

(a) His salary as a teacher.

(b) His salary and expense allowance as a member of the legislature.

(c) His salary and expense allowance as a member of the legislature combined with such an amount of his teaching salary that makes his level of salary for which contributions are paid equal to the full amount of his salary that he would ordinarily receive for the full normal working year as a teacher.

(2) Upon retirement, he shall receive a retirement allowance equal to the sum of three and one-half percent of average final compensation for each year of legislative service, and a percentage determined in accordance with R.S. 11:768 of average final compensation for every other year for which he has credit in this system. For purposes of this Section, average final compensation shall mean the average annual earnable compensation on which employee contributions as above provided were made for any three years of service during which said earnable compensation was the highest. Benefits shall not exceed one hundred percent of average final compensation.

B. Any person covered by this Section on July 1, 1991, shall have until December 31, 1992, to change the previously selected contribution amount to any one of the contribution amounts provided in Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of this Section. Any change made pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable after December 31, 1992. All employer contributions shall be paid based upon the salary which is attributable to each employer.

Added by Acts 1977, No. 743, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 17:601.1 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 212, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 518, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 597, §1, eff. July 1, 1993.