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LouisianaSB 142026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

TEACHERS RETIREMENT: Provides relative to the reemployment of retired members of TRSL in positions eligible for TRSL membership and alternative retiree reemployment options. (2/3-CA10s(29)(F)) (7/1/26) (EN INCREASE APV)

Sponsored By: Edward J. Price (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Retirement

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 5 mixed.

Early returns pause retired educators’ checks

Beginning July 1, 2026, returning to covered active service within 12 months of TRSL retirement suspends retirement checks. The suspension ends when active service ends or 12 months have passed since retirement, whichever comes first. Disability retirees cannot use this reemployment framework. Their return to work remains governed by separate disability-retirement laws.

Retiree pay protections exclude contract work

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered reemployed retirees receive salary-schedule credit for all prior teaching service and relevant experience. They have full-time active-employee status and follow the rules for those employees. Specified reemployment rules also cover contracts and corporate contracts, but the salary/status protections and supplemental-benefit option do not. Covered school contract services include instruction, pupil support, instructional-staff services, school administration, food services, and related clerical or support work. At public colleges, covered contract roles are professor, adjunct professor, instructor, and researcher.

Retirees can pause checks for added benefits

Beginning July 1, 2026, directly hired, full-time TRSL retirees can choose in writing to rejoin the retirement system. Membership resumes on the first day of reemployment, and retirement checks stop immediately. The suspension includes applicable deferred-retirement-option and initial lump-sum payments, and the election covers concurrent jobs. Retirees and employers keep making required contributions. The original benefit returns the day after employment ends; an added benefit uses the original retirement formula. With fewer than 36 contribution months, it uses original final average pay; with at least 36, it uses the higher of original or reemployment final average pay. Combined benefits cannot exceed 100% of the higher of original final average pay or the pay figure used for the added benefit. Service and leave already counted cannot count again, and retirees cannot buy service credit for work performed while collecting a pension. A later retirement generally requires waiting 90 days after all covered employment ends.

Retirees keep checks in shortage jobs

Beginning July 1, 2026, retirees with valid Louisiana certification in the shortage area can receive TRSL checks in qualifying school jobs. Employers must certify the shortage to TRSL and continuously advertise vacancies on the governing authority’s website and their own, when applicable. Certified nonretirees must be hired first unless fewer than three nonretirees certified in the shortage area apply. Eligible jobs include pre-K–12 and public-school adult-education teachers, plus certified speech, hearing, diagnostic, social-work, counseling, psychology, interpreting, and mobility roles. Other jobs requiring state-approved certificates also qualify where a district has a shortage. Enrollment ends each fiscal year; the early-return suspension rule still applies, and supplemental-option retirees cannot use this option. Retirees and employers must contribute, but retirees earn no added service credit or benefits. After work ends, employee contributions are refunded without interest; TRSL keeps employer contributions.

Some retired educators keep checks while working

Beginning July 1, 2026, Louisiana replaces three prior teacher-retiree reemployment laws with a new framework. Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) retirees who retired by June 30, 2010, can receive retirement checks while working for covered employers. Retirees also qualify starting on the first day of the month they turn 65. Returning within 12 months of retirement can still stop checks temporarily. Eligible full-time retirees can instead choose the written supplemental-benefit option, which pauses checks while they work.

Working retirees face an earnings limit

Beginning July 1, 2026, the default TRSL reemployment option allows covered work with an annual earnings limit. The fiscal-year limit is 50% of the final average pay used for the retiree’s original pension. Retirement benefits fall by the amount earned above that limit. Retirees and employers must contribute, but retirees earn no new service credit or retirement benefits. After work ends, retirees can apply for their employee contributions back without interest; TRSL keeps employer contributions.

Retiree employers face reporting and funding duties

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered employers must report retiree hiring and departures to TRSL within 30 days. Annual reports are due within 45 days after June 30 and list names, Social Security numbers, jobs, work status, and prior-year earnings. Monthly contribution reports are due within 30 days after each month ends. Employers owe TRSL for improper payments caused by missing required notices or information; missing reports place retirees under the default earnings-limit option. Any law-related costs require additional employer contributions under the Louisiana Constitution; no amount or rate is specified. The retirement system and legislative auditor must assess identifiable pension-funding effects after the experience study through June 30, 2032. Findings go to House and Senate retirement committee leaders at least 120 days before the 2034 Regular Session.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Edward J. Price

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Charles Owen

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 146 • No: 1

House vote • 5/12/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 96 • No: 0

House vote • 5/5/2026

Reported favorably

Yes: 15 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/7/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 1 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 35 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 344.

    5/22/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 7/1/2026.

    5/22/2026Senate

  3. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

    5/20/2026Senate

  4. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/19/2026Senate

  5. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/19/2026House

  6. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

    5/12/2026House

  7. Received from the House with amendments.

    5/12/2026Senate

  8. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/12/2026.

    5/11/2026House

  9. Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

    5/7/2026House

  10. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

    5/6/2026House

  11. Reported favorably (15-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/5/2026House

  12. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Retirement.

    4/9/2026House

  13. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

    4/8/2026House

  14. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 1 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    4/7/2026Senate

  15. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    3/31/2026Senate

  16. Reported favorably.

    3/30/2026Senate

  17. Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted; ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

    3/17/2026Senate

  18. Reported with amendments.

    3/16/2026Senate

  19. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Retirement.

    3/9/2026Senate

  20. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Retirement.

    1/23/2026Senate

Bill Text

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