§36. Additional benefits payable to legislators; certain legislative personnel; governor; lieutenant governor; political subdivision service credit; credit for service previously rendered; additional contributions; computation of benefits payable; membership

A. All persons who are or have been members of the Louisiana Legislature, or who are or have been the clerk or sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives, or the secretary or sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, or who are or have been the governor, or who are or have been the lieutenant governor, and who are members of any actuarially funded retirement system maintained by the state of Louisiana or any political subdivision thereof, shall receive an additional benefit equal to one percent times the number of years of service in the Louisiana state legislature, except as provided by R.S. 11:164, or as clerk or sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives or as secretary or sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, or as an employee of the legislature, or as governor or lieutenant governor, times the average salary as defined in the law covering the particular system of which each is a member. Years of service as clerk or sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives, as secretary or sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, or as an employee of the legislature, or as governor or lieutenant governor shall be computed in the same manner as years of service is computed for membership in the legislature.

B. Any member of the legislature who is a member of an actuarially funded retirement system or who becomes a member within sixty days after June 29, 1959, shall be given full credit for all service as a state employee prior to July 1, 1959, provided he pays five percent of all salary earned as a state employee between January 1, 1948 and June 29, 1959; and provided such payment is made within six (6) months after June 29, 1959.

C.(1)(a) Any member of any actuarially funded retirement system maintained by the state of Louisiana or any political subdivision thereof who has a total of at least sixteen years of creditable service as a member of the state legislature or as governor or as lieutenant governor or as state treasurer shall be entitled to retire under the provisions of the actuarially funded retirement system of which he is a member, without regard to the age he has attained at the time he makes application for retirement.

(b) In addition, any such person who has a total of twenty years of creditable service, at least twelve years of which is as a member of the state legislature, or a clerk of the House of Representatives or sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives, or as president or secretary of the Senate or sergeant-at-arms of the Senate, or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer shall be entitled to retire under the provisions of the actuarially funded retirement system of which he is a member, if he has attained the age of fifty years or complies with the age limit provisions for retirement of the system from which he retires. Further, any such person who has a total of at least twelve years of creditable service as a member of the state legislature, or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, at the time he withdraws from state service shall be entitled to retire under the provisions of the actuarially funded retirement system of which he is a member when he attains the age of fifty-five years, if such person has not previously received a refund of his accumulated contributions.

(c) A legislator or a governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer shall be entitled to obtain and to include all or a portion of any service rendered by him as an elected public official as listed in R.S. 18:551(B)(1)(c), (d), and (e) as creditable service as a member of the legislature, or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, for the purpose of acquiring the required years of creditable service as a member of the legislature or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer.

(d) If such credit has not been credited previously to the legislator, or to a governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer in the system of which he is a member, that system shall allow such credit, upon application therefor, by the legislator, governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, and upon his paying that system shall allow such credit, upon application therefor, by the legislator, governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, and upon his paying into the system any employee and employer contributions computed by the system pursuant to R.S. 11:158.

(e) If no compensation was received for the service for which credit thus is sought, the legislator, governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer shall pay into the system as employee and employer contributions an amount which shall be computed on the basis of the amount of his per diem as a legislator for a number of days equal to the number of days for which he seeks credit, or on the basis of his salary as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer.

(2)(a) Credit obtained for service rendered as an elected public official of this state shall count as creditable service as a member of the legislature or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer for the purpose of acquiring the required years of creditable service as a member of the legislature, or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, provided at the time of retirement the member of the legislature, or governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer has credit for at least seven years of actual service as a member of the legislature or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer.

(b) If a member of the legislature, or a governor, lieutenant governor, or a state treasurer does not obtain credit for at least seven years of actual service as a legislator, or governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, any credit obtained for service as an elected public official as listed in R.S. 18:551(B)(1)(c), (d), and (e) by any such person shall only count as other creditable service.

(c) If a member of the legislature, or a governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer does obtain credit for at least seven years of actual service as a legislator, or as governor, lieutenant governor, or state treasurer, then nothing herein shall limit the number of years that shall be counted as regular service for computing retirement benefits.

(3) Any person retiring under the provisions of this Subsection shall receive a full retirement benefit, without reduction of any percentage which may be provided in the laws pertaining to the retirement system for retirement before the normal retirement age. For purposes of computing retirement benefits for those persons provided for in Subsection A of this Section, "average compensation" shall be the average annual earned compensation of the member for any three years of service during which said earned compensation was the highest, including salary, per diem, and also the expense allowances provided by R.S. 24:31.1 and 31.2 and any other expense allowances provided for the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate. The retirement benefits provided herein for any person covered by this provision shall not exceed the limitation provided in R.S. 11:444(B). Beginning with August 1, 1962, the benefits provided herein shall extend to members covered hereby who were employed in the state service on or after May 1, 1960, and to their survivors.

D. On and after May 1, 1960, any member as defined in Subsection A of this Section, shall have the right to transfer his total accredited years of service from the retirement system from which he leaves, due to change of employment, to any retirement system maintained by the state of Louisiana or any subdivision thereof. Transfer shall be effective upon the certification of total service credit by the retirement system transferring the member to the retirement system to which the member is transferred and shall be conditioned upon payment to the receiving system of such an amount which, on an actuarial basis, totally offsets the increase in accrued liability of the system resulting from the transaction. The amount payable shall be based upon the actuarial funding method, assumptions, and tables in use by the system at the time the person’s application is received by the system. The retirement system transferring the member shall transfer the employee and employers contribution accounts in full to the retirement system to which the member is transferred.

E. Repealed by Acts 2010, No. 94, §2, eff. July 1, 2010.

F. Any person who has served in the legislature for at least seven years who was elected to such office prior to attaining the age of fifty-five and who on January 6, 1969 is over the age of fifty-five, and who has never been a member of any actuarially funded retirement system maintained by the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall be eligible to become a member of the State Employees' Retirement System and to obtain credit for state service previously rendered as a member of the legislature and also as an employee of the State Board of Registration, provided that application for membership and for such credit is made on or before May 1, 1969. In order to obtain such credit, the applicant shall pay into the system contributions on the compensation earned for the period for which such credit is sought, computed at the current rate, together with two per cent compound interest thereon. These contributions may be paid in one lump sum or in such installments as may be agreed upon between the member and the board of trustees, provided that all such payments shall be made within four years of the date of application.

G. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any person heretofore or hereafter elected to the legislature for three or more terms, and who is elected or who serves during any one of the terms for at least two sessions of the legislature but less than a full four years shall receive credit in any retirement system of which he is a member for the full four years. However, in order to receive such credit the member shall make application therefor to the board of trustees of the retirement system of which he is a member and shall submit evidence of the period for which he seeks credit and the reason or reasons therefor. In addition, the member shall pay into the system an amount on an actuarial basis calculated in accordance with R.S. 11:158. Such payments shall be made in one lump sum prior to the date of filing an application for retirement.

H. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and particularly R.S. 11:142, any person who within three years after serving in their respective capacities as set forth in Subsection A of this Section is or has been employed by the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof shall have the right to transfer his total years of accredited service in the retirement system of which he was a member while serving in their respective capacities, aforesaid, to the retirement system maintained for employees of the public body which subsequently employs him, provided he has not received a refund of his accumulated contributions. Any such person shall be eligible for membership in the retirement system to which the accredited service is transferred, regardless of any age requirement for membership eligibility in such system. The retirement system transferring the accredited service shall transfer the employee and employer contribution accounts in full to the retirement system to which the transfer is being made. Any such person shall have the right to service credit in the system to which he transfers membership from the date of employment to the date he becomes a member of the system, provided he makes application therefor and pays into the system an amount which, on an actuarial basis, totally offsets the increase in accrued liability of the system resulting from the transaction. The amount payable shall be based upon the actuarial funding method, assumptions, and tables in use by the system at the time the person's application is received by the system. The amount required to be paid shall be paid in one lump sum or in such installments as are agreed upon by the board of trustees of the system, but the total amount shall be paid within six months after becoming a member of the system.

I. Any person who has served in the legislature for at least twelve years who was elected to such office after attaining the age of sixty-five and who on June 30, 1990, is over the age of eighty, and who has never been a member of any actuarially funded retirement system maintained by the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall be eligible to become a member of the State Employees' Retirement System and to obtain credit for state service previously rendered as a member of the legislature, provided that application for membership and for such credit is made on or before September 1, 1990. In order to obtain such credit, there shall be paid into the system an amount which on an actuarial basis, totally offsets the increase in accrued liability of the system resulting from the receipt of the credit. The amount payable shall be calculated by use of the actuarial funding method, assumptions, and tables in use by the system at the time of application for the credit. These contributions may be paid in one lump sum or in such installments as may be agreed upon between the member and the board of trustees, provided that all such payments shall be made within one year of the date of application.

J.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person covered by this Section may purchase credit for any prior service in which he was employed by the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any nonprofit quasi governmental entity whose funding is derived in whole or in part from federal, state, or local sources or any prior service as an elected public official in this state.

(2) Any person who purchases service credit under the provisions of this Subsection shall be entitled to pay such a sum to the system as will allow the person to receive the additional benefit provided for in Subsection A of this Section with respect to all such newly purchased service credit.

(3) Any person covered by this Section, who has been employed by the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof or who served as an elected public official in this state and who transferred to this retirement system any amount of his accredited service in the retirement system of which he was a member while serving in that capacity, shall be entitled to pay such a sum of money to this retirement system as will grant him the additional benefit provided in Subsection A of this Section with respect to the total amount of service credited to his account and without regard to whether such service was obtained by transfer or otherwise.

(4) Any service credit, benefit, or additional benefits that any person may purchase in accordance with the provisions of this Subsection shall be conditioned upon payment to the retirement system of such an amount which, on an actuarial basis, totally offsets the increase in accrued liability of the system resulting from the transaction. The amount payable shall be based upon the actuarial funding method, assumptions, and tables in use by the system at the time the person's application is received by the system.

K.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person covered under the provisions of this Section shall be eligible to pay such a sum to the retirement system of which he is a member to make the highest benefit accrual rate available to such person applicable to all service credited to his account.

(2) The provisions of this Subsection shall apply to any prior service credit without regard to the date that such service was purchased or credited to the member's account.

(3) All sums paid under this Subsection shall, on an actuarial basis, totally offset any increase in accrued liability of the system resulting from the transaction. The amount payable under this Subsection shall be calculated by use of the actuarial funding method, assumptions, and tables in use at the time of the purchase of the service credit.

L. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person covered by this Section shall be eligible to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan of the system for which he is a member for a period of three years.

M. Beginning January 1, 2011, the provisions of this Section shall not be applicable to any person whose first employment making him eligible for membership in any public retirement system, plan, or fund, began on or after such date.

Acts 1959, No. 97, §§1 to 3; Acts 1960, No. 345, §§2, 3; Acts 1962, No. 141, §1; Acts 1963, No. 2, §§1, 3; Acts 1963, No. 6, §1; Acts 1963, No. 8, §3; Acts 1964, No. 386, §1; Acts 1968, No. 28, §1; Acts 1968, No. 37, §1; Acts 1968, Ex. Sess., No. 8, §1; Acts 1970, No. 40, §1; Acts 1974, No. 116, §1; Acts 1974, No. 204, §1; Acts 1974, No. 243, §1; Acts 1976, No. 222, §1, eff. July 29, 1976; Acts 1977, No. 481, §1, eff. July 13, 1977; Acts 1983, No. 674, §2; Acts 1985, No. 774, §1; Acts 1987, No. 537, §1; Acts 1988, No. 657, §1, eff. July 15, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 688, §1, eff. July 20, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 861, §1; Acts 1992, No. 518, §6, eff. June 26, 1992; Acts 1995, No. 667, §2; Acts 1995, No. 961, §2, eff. June 30, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 999, §1, eff. July 1, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 1112, §2; Acts 2010, No. 94, §2, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 992, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2011, No. 377, §2, eff. June 30, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 811, §7, eff. July 1, 2012.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1988, NO. 657, §2.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1991, NO. 861, §2.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1992, NO. 518, §§7 AND 8.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1995, NO. 999, §2.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1995, NO. 1112, §3.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1995, NO. 961, §5, RELATIVE TO EFFECTIVE DATE OF ACT (SEE ALSO ACTS 1995, NO. 1110, §4).