2009 Louisiana Laws TITLE 11 Consolidated public retirement :: RS 11:542 Experience account

§542.  Experience account

A.(1)(a)  Effective July 1, 2004, the balance in the experience account shall be zero.

(b)  Effective June 30, 2009, the balance in the experience account shall be zero.  Any funds in the experience account on June 29, 2009, shall be allocated in the following order:

(i)  To provide for any net investment loss attributable to the balance in the account as provided in Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section.

(ii)  To fund any permanent benefit increase or minimum benefit pursuant to the Act that originated as House Bill No. 586 of the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature.

(iii)  To apply to the experience account amortization base as provided in R.S. 11:102.1(C)(2); however, as of June 30, 2009, these funds shall be transferred to the system's Texaco Account and retained in a subaccount of that account until that account is applied as provided in R.S. 11:102.1.  The subaccount shall continue to be credited and debited as provided in Subparagraph (A)(2)(b) and Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section until such application.

(2)  The experience account shall be credited as follows:

(a)  To the extent permitted by Paragraph (3) of this Subsection and after allocation to the consolidated amortization bases as provided in R.S. 11:102.1, an amount not to exceed fifty percent of the remaining balance of the prior year's net investment experience gain as determined by the system's actuary.

(b)  To the extent permitted by Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, an amount not to exceed that portion of the system's net investment income attributable to the balance in the experience account during the prior year.

(3)  In no event shall the amount in the experience account exceed the reserve necessary to grant two permanent benefit increases as provided in Subsection C of this Section.

B.  The experience account shall be debited as follows:

(1)  An amount equal to that portion of the system's net investment loss attributable to the balance in the experience account during the prior year.

(2)  An amount sufficient to fund a permanent benefit increase granted pursuant to Subsection C of this Section.

(3)  In no event shall the amount in the experience account fall below zero.

C.(1)  In accordance with the provisions of this Section, the board of trustees may recommend to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives that the system be permitted to grant a permanent benefit increase to retirees, survivors, and beneficiaries whenever the conditions in Subsection F of this Section are satisfied and the balance in the experience account is sufficient to fund such benefit fully on an actuarial basis, as determined by the system's actuary.  If the legislative auditor's actuary disagrees with the determination of the system's actuary, a permanent benefit increase shall not be granted.  The board of trustees shall not grant a permanent benefit increase unless such permanent benefit increase has been approved by the legislature by concurrent resolution adopted by the favorable vote of a majority of the elected members of each house.  Any such permanent benefit increase shall be limited to and shall only be payable based on an amount not to exceed seventy thousand dollars of the retiree's annual benefit; however, effective for years after July 1, 1999, the seventy-thousand dollar limit shall be increased each year in an amount equal to any increase in the consumer price index (U.S. city average for all urban consumers (CPI-U)) for the preceding year, if any. Any increase granted pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall begin on the July first following legislative approval, shall be payable annually, and shall equal an amount not to exceed the lesser of:

(a)  Three percent.

(b)  An amount as determined in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.

(2)  If the increase in the consumer price index, U.S. city average for all urban consumers (CPI-U), as prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the calendar year immediately preceding the permanent benefit increase is less than three percent, then the permanent benefit increase shall be a sum equal to the CPI-U increase for that prior calendar year, if any.  If the balance in the experience account is not sufficient to fund that sum, no increase shall be granted.

(3)  The percentage of each recipient's permanent benefit increase shall be based on the benefit being paid to the recipient on the effective date of the increase.

(4)(a)  Except as provided in Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph, in order to be eligible for any permanent benefit increase payable on or before June 30, 2009, there must be the funds available in the experience account to pay for such an increase, and a retiree:

(i)  Shall have received a benefit for at least one year; and

(ii)  Shall have attained at least age fifty-five.

(b)  Except as provided in Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph, a nonretiree beneficiary shall be eligible for the permanent benefit increase payable on or before June 30, 2009:

(i)  If benefits had been paid to the retiree or the beneficiary, or both combined, for at least one year; and

(ii)  In no event before the retiree would have attained age fifty-five.

(c)(i)  The provisions of Items (a)(ii), (b)(ii), (d)(ii), and (e)(ii) of this Paragraph shall not apply to any person who receives disability benefits from this system, or who receives benefits based on the death of a disability retiree of this system.

(ii)  The actuarial cost of implementing the provisions of Acts 2001, No. 1162, shall be paid by debiting the experience account which must have the funds available in the experience account to pay for such an increase.

(d)  Except as provided in Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph, in order to be eligible for any permanent benefit increase payable on or after July 1, 2009, there shall be the funds available in the experience account to pay for such an increase, and a retiree:

(i)  Shall have received a benefit for at least one year; and

(ii)  Shall have attained at least age sixty.

(e)  Except as provided in Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph, a nonretiree beneficiary shall be eligible for the permanent benefit increase payable on or after July 1, 2009:

(i)  If benefits had been paid to the retiree or the beneficiary, or both combined, for at least one year; and

(ii)  In no event before the retiree would have attained age sixty.

(5)(a)  Effective September 1, 2001, any retiree receiving a retirement benefit shall be entitled to receive, as a permanent benefit increase, a minimum retirement benefit amounting to not less than thirty dollars per month for each year of creditable service of the retiree or the maximum benefit earned in accordance with the applicable benefit formula selected by the retiree at the time of retirement, whichever is greater.

(i)  For any retiree who selected or selects an early retirement, an initial benefit option, or a retirement option allowing the payment of benefits to a beneficiary, there shall be a comparison of both the minimum benefit provided for in this Paragraph and the maximum benefit and both such benefits shall be actuarially reduced based upon the option selected by the retiree and the current board-approved actuarial assumptions prior to the comparison and for the purpose of determining which of the two benefit amounts results in the greater amount and the greater amount shall be paid to the retiree.

(ii)  In order for the minimum benefit provided for in this Paragraph to be compared to the annuity being paid to a retiree's named beneficiary, the minimum benefit shall be reduced based on the option in effect and the current board-approved actuarial assumptions.  After reducing the minimum benefit provided for in this Item, the reduced minimum benefit shall be compared to the beneficiary's annuity, and the beneficiary shall be paid the greater of the beneficiary's reduced minimum benefit or the amount of the beneficiary's annuity being paid at the time of the comparison.

(b)  The minimum benefits provided for in this Paragraph shall apply to all retired members and beneficiaries receiving annuity payments or benefits on September 1, 2001, and to all members retiring on and after September 1, 2001, and to all beneficiaries receiving annuity payments on and after September 1, 2001, and all such payments shall be funded by debiting the experience account.

D.  Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 497, §3, eff. June 30, 2009.

E.  The first normal permanent benefit increase shall be effective July 1, 1999.

F. (1)  The permanent benefit increase which is authorized by Subsection C of this Section shall be limited to the lesser of either two percent or an amount as determined in Paragraph (C)(2) of this Section in or for any year in which the system does not earn an actuarial rate of return of at least eight and one-quarter percent interest on the investment of the system's assets.

(2)  No permanent benefit increase shall be authorized based on any actuarial valuation in which both of the following apply:

(a)  The system fails to earn an actuarial rate of return which exceeds the board-approved actuarial valuation rate.

(b)  The system is less than eighty percent funded.

Acts 1992, No. 572, §1; Acts 1999, No. 402, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 900, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2001, No. 1016, §1, eff. June 30, 2001; Acts 2001, No. 1162, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 588, §1, eff. June 30, 2004; Acts 2009, No. 497, §§1, 3, eff. June 30, 2009.

NOTE: See Acts 2001, No. 900, §2 relative to accountability for implementation of the Act and reports thereof.

NOTE:  See Acts 2004, No. 588, §2, relative to balances in the employee experience account of the La. State Employees' Retirement System on June 30, 2004.

NOTE:  See Acts 2009, No. 497, §2, eff. June 30, 2009, relative to conflicts with previous Acts and §4 relative to affect on contribution rates.