Advocacy
LRTA supports legislation that will positively affect retired teachers and opposes legislation that will adversely affect retired teachers. LRTA also supports efforts to maintain adequate funding for top quality public education in Louisiana.
2024 LRTA Legislative Priorities
Although these priorities are listed in numerical order, the below items are all top priorities of LRTA.
- LRTA supports a retirement benefit structure administered by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana that includes adequate and stable funding for regular cost-of-living increases to preserve the purchasing power of retirees.
- LRTA supports Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) reforms that provide for supplemental benefit increases on a regular basis as the UAL is reduced and paid through the cost savings to the state.
- LRTA supports dedicated allocations from state funds to meet the state’s obligation to reduce the Initial Unfunded Accrued Liabilities (IUALs) of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana without causing an adverse budget impact on public education agencies or retirees.
- LRTA supports state revenue enhancements that provide a meaningful economic impact on retired educators in enhancing their dignity, independence and overall quality of life.
- LRTA supports funding from state funds to offset increasing costs of health insurance premiums and other benefits for retired educators offered by the Office of Group Benefits and other health care insurers and providers.
- LRTA opposes any action that would negatively impact the actuarial soundness of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
- LRTA opposes the consolidation of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana with any other retirement system.
- LRTA opposes the consolidation of assets of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana with any other retirement system and opposes any other action that would dilute membership control of the investment of the assets of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
- LRTA opposes any action that would alter the current defined benefit structure offered by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana to its members.
- LRTA supports a viable, adequately funded public education program that requires educators to become members of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
- LRTA opposes the provision of state funded scholarships/vouchers for public elementary and secondary school students to attend private and non-public schools.
- LRTA supports both the partial and/or full repeal of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) of the Social Security Administration and opposes mandatory Social Security coverage of public employees in Louisiana.
- LRTA supports the continuation of Louisiana state income tax exemption for retirement benefits issued by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
- LRTA opposes any legislation or bill that would cut or diminish Medicare benefits.
- LRTA opposes any legislation that calls for a state constitutional convention that targets retirement protections under title XI of the state constitution.
ADVOCACY TOOLS
2024 Legislation
| BILLS TO TRACK IN THE 2024 REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION | ||||
| Legislator | Bill No. | Description | Status | Position |
| Blake Miguez | SB 5 |
Proposes to define “financial” as having been prudently determined by a fiduciary to have a material effect on the financial risk or the financial return of an investment. Further defines “financial” as not including any action taken, or factor considered, by a fiduciary with any purpose whatsoever to further social, political, or ideological interests. Proposes that a fiduciary may reasonably be determined to have taken an action, or considered a factor, with a purpose to further social, political, or ideological interests by engaging in what is defined in the proposed law as a “fiduciary commitment” (see definition below) to further, through portfolio company engagement, board or shareholder votes, or otherwise as a fiduciary, any of the following beyond what controlling federal or state law requires: • Eliminating, reducing, offsetting, or disclosing greenhouse gas emissions. • Instituting or assessing corporate board, or employment, composition, compensation, or disclosure criteria that incorporates characteristics protected in this state. • Divesting from, limiting investment in, or limiting the activities or investments of, any company, for failing, or not committing, to meet environmental standards or disclosures. • Access to abortion, sex or gender change or transgender surgery. • Divesting from, limiting investment in, or limiting the activities or investments of, any company that engages in, facilitates, or supports the manufacture, import, distribution, marketing or advertising, sale, or lawful use of firearms, ammunition or components parts and accessories of firearms or ammunition.
Provides that anyone found to have breached these duties is liable for damages equal to three times all monies paid to the person or company by the system for that fiduciary’s services. |
Pending Senate Retirement |
Oppose in its original form
(LRTA Legislative Priority # 6) |
| Ed Price | SB 1 | Current law provides for the transfer of all employee and employer contributions when an employee transfers from one public retirement system to another. | Pending Senate Retirement | Neutral |
| Barbara Frieburg | HB 31 |
Proposes to allow active, contributing participants in the ORP as of June 30, 2024, to make a one-time choice to join the TRSL defined benefit plan. • Must be in writing and received by TRSL on or before December 30, 2024. • For those who make this choice, ORP contributions cease on January 31, 2025, and contributions and service accrual in the TRSL defined benefit retirement plan begin on February 1, 2025, as a member first eligible for membership on that date. |
Pending House Retirement | Neutral |
| Charles Owen |
HB 17 (Return to Work) |
Proposes to temporarily allow most retirees to be reemployed through a contract or corporate contract without any suspension of their retirement benefit. • Benefit reduction rules remain in place. • Does not apply to disability retirees, those returning to work within a year of retirement, certain retirees filling critical shortages at higher education institutions, or voluntary suspension in lieu of benefit reduction. Proposes that rehired retirees under contract or corporate contract and their employers will be exempt from employee and employer contributions during the reemployment. |
Pending House Retirement | No Position |
| Neil Riser |
HB 35 (Return to Work) |
Proposes to allow a retiree who retired after June 30, 2020, to return to work in critical shortage positions without a one year waiting period or a reduction or suspension of benefits if there are no other properly certified non-retiree candidates to fill the vacancy.
Does not apply to disability retirees or certain retirees filling critical shortages at higher education institutions. Requires that any cost of proposed law be funded with additional employer contributions. |
Pending House Retirement | No Position |
| Garrett Graves |
HR 82 (US Congress) |
The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. | Pending Ways and Means Committee |
Support (LRTA Legislative Priority # 12) |
Although the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association cannot endorse political candidates, we remain keenly interested in candidates’ views on our legislative priorities. See our past survey results below and in our Legislative Archives.
2023 Election Results – Runoffs in Yellow, / 2023 Survey Questions
- For additional election information, visit the Secretary of State’s website, https://www.sos.la.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
- Are you an out-of-state retiree? Click on this link to find your State or Local Election Office Website for the state you are currently in https://www.usa.gov/election-office.
Click on the link below for the Louisiana Legislature’s website. Here you will find information about bills, committee meetings and legislators.
FEATURED ARTICLES
LEGISLATIVE ARCHIVES
View all of LRTA’s past legislative updates and surveys by clicking the button below.