2008 Regular Legislative Session Lasers Sponsored Bills and Bills Affecting LASERS

LASERS is sponsoring the following pieces of legislation in the 2008 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature:

HB 229 – Robideaux

As amended in House Retirement on April 24, 2008 provides for 10 years at age 60 eligibility in the Corrections Secondary Component as authorized by an Attorney General opinion.

Passed House 97 – 0

HB 230 – Robideaux

Pop-Up provision which allows the automatic change to the maximum benefit of a retiree based upon the death of his named beneficiary on the 1^st day of month following death.  Current law allows pop-up based on the date of notification of death.

Passed House 98-0

HB 233 – Doerge

Changes the accrual rate for Act 75 disability retirees from 1.8 percent to 2.5 percent.

Passed House 96-0

HB 1077 – Robideaux

Provides for transfers of service for members of existing hazardous duty plans and rank and file members to the Hazardous Duty Services Plan proposed in HB 1084

HB 1078 – Robideaux

Updates statutory provisions for computation of maximum benefits to be consistent with the Internal Revenue Code.

Passed House 99 – 0

HB 1084 – Robideaux

Establishes the Hazardous Duty Services Plan with the following provisions:

·         For new hires January 1, 2009 and thereafter

·         3.33 percent accrual rate

·         60 month final average compensation

·         9 percent employee contribution rate

·         80 percent survivor benefit if killed in line of duty

·         75 percent disability benefit if injured in line of duty

HCR 2 – Robideaux

Grants approval of a 3 percent cost-of-living increase requested by the LASERS Board of Trustees.

Adopted by the House by a vote of 98 – 0 on April 23, 2008.   Reported favorably by Senate Retirement on May 12, 2008

A number of bills have been pre-filed for the session which impact LASERS and its members.  At its March 28, 2008 and April 25, 2008 meetings, the LASERS Board of Trustees took positions on these bills as indicated.

HB 89 – Doerge                     Board Position:  Oppose based on current language

Makes the Self Directed Plan (SDP) for DROP participants in LASERS and TRSL optional.  A member must sign a waiver acknowledging that if negative earnings occur their account balance will be affected.  The bill has a July 1, 2008 effective date, and persons who are currently in the SDP have 60 days to switch.

Voluntarily deferred by House Retirement on April 30, 2008

HB 108 – Arnold                    Board Position:  Oppose          

Makes permanent the requirements that state retirement systems direct 10 percent of certain types of investments through Louisiana broker-dealers.  Quarterly and annual reports by the systems are still required.

Heard by House Retirement on April 24, 2008 and vote to report bill favorably failed 2 - 5

HB 259 – St. Germain           Board Position:  Support                     

Provides Fiscal Year 2008-2009 appropriation for additional payments against the Unfunded Accrued Liability of the public retirement systems. ($70 Million for LASERS)

Considered by House Appropriations on April 21, 2008; no action taken

HB 467 – Richard                  Board Position:  Neutral          

Provides for early retirement (10 years at age 50) of LASERS members with actuarial reduction of benefits; requires abolition of positions vacated by early retirement and permits reestablishment and filling of such positions under limited circumstances.  Substantially the same as early retirement acts of 2001, 2004 and 2006.

HB 577 – Peterson                 Board Position:  Oppose          

Requires divestment of pension system holdings in a company having facilities or employees in Sudan.

Withdrawn from files of the House on April 23, 2008

HB 740 – Ligi             Board Position:  Oppose                                  

(Constitutional Amendment) Provides for forfeiture of public retirement benefits of persons who are convicted of felony acts associated with their positions.

Heard by House Retirement on April 24, 2008 and reported favorably by a vote of 5 - 2

HB 827 – Cortez                    Board Position:  Support         

Supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 for additional accelerated payments on the Unfunded Accrued Liability of the state retirement systems.  ($327 Million for LASERS)

Considered by House Appropriations on April 21, 2008; no action taken

HB 942 – Smiley                    Board Position:  Neutral*                    

Allows a legislative assistant to participate in LASERS if paid at least 60 percent of the total compensation available to the legislator for employing assistants.  Current law requires the assistant to be full-time and have at least one year experience or receive at least 80 percent of available compensation before participation is allowed.

Voluntarily deferred in House & Government Affairs in deference to HB 1063.

HB 1022 – Ligi                       Board Position:  Oppose                      

Requires forfeiture of public retirement benefits by persons convicted of enumerated state or federal public corruption felony acts associated with public service.

Failed final House passage by a vote of 38-56

HB 1063 – Tucker                 Board Position:  Neutral*            ___

Allows a legislative assistant to participate in LASERS if paid at least 60 percent of the maximum authorized salary for a primary legislative assistant.  Current law requires the assistant to be full-time and have at least one year experience or receive at least 80 percent of available compensation before participation is allowed.

Reported with amendments by House & Governmental Affairs

HB 1068 – Kleckley  Board Position:  Oppose                                  

Changes retirement eligibility for certain enforcement personnel within the office of alcohol & tobacco control of the Department of Revenue from 30 years at any age and 25 years at age 55, to 25 years at any age.  Also, changes the calculation of the fund used to pay for ATC benefits.  Current law provides that 50 percent of a sum otherwise allocated to the Tobacco Regulation Enforcement Fund be used for benefits.  Proposed law would allocate the lesser of: 20 percent of the Tobacco Regulation Enforcement Fund or $14,000.  The Department of Revenue is still responsible for any shortfall of funding but may use the funds in the Fund.

HB 1121 – Armes                  Board Position:  Oppose                      

Relative to the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System, increases the benefit accrual rate to 3.33% for certain P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement personnel.

HB 1208 – Harrison               Board Position:  Oppose                      

Amends & reenacts La. R.S. 11:266.1(B) relative to state public retirement systems to increase the percentage of commissions and trades to Louisiana broker-dealers to 25%.

HB 1237 – Robideaux           Board Position:  Oppose                      

Requires the forfeiture of retirement benefits of certain public servants if found guilty of a sex crime against minors.

HB 1263 – Ligi                       Board Position:  Oppose                      

Requires forfeiture of public retirement benefits by certain persons who are hired after a certain date and who are convicted of certain state or federal felony acts associated with their public service.

SB 27 – Gautreaux, B.           Board Position:  Neutral                      

Allows garnishment of public retirement or pension system, plan, or fund benefits of an elected official to pay fines or restitution imposed for a felony associated with his office.

Failed on final passage in Senate by a vote of 15-19.  It was returned to the calendar.

SB 45 - Gautreaux, B.           Board Position:  Oppose                      

Provides for benefits for certain adult probation and parole officers.  This bill is similar to the final version of HB 845 which was vetoed in 2007.   

Reported favorably by Senate Retirement

SB 315 – Nevers                    Board Position:  Oppose                      

Provides for arson investigators in the fire marshal's office to receive the same enhanced retirement benefits as peace officers.

Reported favorably by Senate Retirement

SB 317 – Nevers                    Board Position:  Neutral                      

Provides for secondary component benefits for certain juvenile detention center employees.

SB 653 – Duplessis                Board Position:  Neutral                      

Gives legislative office clerical staff the same eligibility for participation in LASERS that legislative assistants currently have.

SB 756 – Gautreaux, B.         Board Position:  Neutral                      

Provides for the legislative actuary.  Current law provides for a legislative actuary in the office of the legislative auditor.  This bill places the legislative actuary in the legislature.  The House and Senate Retirement Committees would appoint and fix the salary of the legislative actuary.

Reported favorably by Senate & Government Affairs

*  Position was changed due to further information and/or amendments to the bill.