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HLS 26RS-117 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 14
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILDER
RETIREMENT/TEACHERS: Provides relative to beneficiaries within the Teachers'
Retirement System of Louisiana
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 11:783(A)(2) and to enact R.S. 11:783(A)(5), relative to the
3 Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana; to provide for designation of a child or
4 children with a disability as a beneficiary or beneficiaries; to provide relative to
5 medical determination of such disability; to provide relative to benefits; and to
6 provide for related matters.
7 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published
8 as provided by Article X, Section 29(C) of the Constitution
9 of Louisiana.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 11:783(A)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 11:783(A)(5)
12 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 §783. Selection of option for method of payment after death of member
14 A.
15 * * *
16 (2) Upon retirement or participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan
17 any member may make an election which is irrevocable after the effective date of
18 retirement or the effective date of participation in the Deferred Retirement Option
19 Plan to receive his benefit in a retirement allowance payable throughout life, or he
20 may make an election which is irrevocable after the effective date of retirement or
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HLS 26RS-117 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 14
1 the effective date of participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan to receive
2 the actuarial equivalent of his retirement allowance in a reduced retirement
3 allowance payable throughout life with the provisions that:
4 Option 1. If he dies before he has received in annuity payments the present
5 value of his annuity as it was at the time of his retirement, the balance shall be paid
6 to his succession or to any person he shall designate in a written instrument
7 acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees.
8 Option 2. Upon his death, his reduced retirement allowance shall be
9 continued throughout the life of and paid to a natural person he shall irrevocably
10 designate in a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees
11 at the time the election is made; or
12 Option 2A. Upon his death, his reduced retirement allowance shall be
13 continued throughout the life of and paid to a natural person he shall irrevocably
14 designate in a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees
15 at the time the election is made, provided that if the designated beneficiary
16 predeceases the retiree, the retiree's reduced benefit shall change to the maximum
17 benefit effective on the first day of the next month following the death of the
18 designated beneficiary.
19 Option 3. Upon his death, one-half of his reduced retirement allowance shall
20 be continued throughout the life of and paid to a natural person he shall irrevocably
21 designate in a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees
22 at the time the election is made; or
23 Option 3A. Upon his death, one-half of his reduced retirement allowance
24 shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to a natural person he shall
25 irrevocably designate in a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board
26 of trustees at the time the election is made, provided that if the designated
27 beneficiary predeceases the retiree, the retiree's reduced benefit shall change to the
28 maximum benefit effective on the first day of the next month following the death of
29 the designated beneficiary.
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HLS 26RS-117 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 14
1 Option 4. Upon his death, some other benefit which shall not exceed the
2 Option 2 benefit amount, designated by him at the time the election is made, shall
3 be paid throughout the life of and to a natural person he shall irrevocably designate
4 in a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees at the time
5 the election is made, provided such other benefit, together with the reduced
6 retirement allowance shall be certified by the actuary to be of equivalent actuarial
7 value to his retirement allowance, and approved by the board of trustees; or
8 Option 4A. Upon his death, some other benefit which shall not exceed the
9 Option 2 benefit amount, designated by him at the time the election is made shall be
10 paid throughout the life of and to a natural person he shall irrevocably designate in
11 a written instrument acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees at the time
12 the election is made, provided such other benefit, together with the reduced
13 retirement allowance, shall be certified by the actuary to be of equivalent actuarial
14 value to his retirement allowance, and approved by the board of trustees, provided
15 that if the designated beneficiary predeceases the retiree, the retiree's reduced benefit
16 shall change to the maximum benefit effective on the first day of the next month
17 following the death of the designated beneficiary.
18 Option 5. Upon his death, some other benefit or benefits shall be payable to
19 the member's child or children with a permanent mental or physical disability as he
20 shall nominate, provided such other benefit or benefits, together with the reduced
21 retirement allowance, shall be certified by the actuary to be of equivalent value to his
22 retirement allowance and approved by the board of trustees.
23 * * *
24 (5) If a member nominates his child or children diagnosed with a permanent
25 mental or physical disability to receive a benefit pursuant to Option 5 of this
26 Subsection, the medical determination of such disability shall be performed in
27 immediate proximity to, but before the effective date of, such member's retirement
28 or entry into the Deferred Retirement Option Plan. If a member requests the system
29 to perform a medical determination of disability for his child or children and the
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HLS 26RS-117 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 14
1 member does not allocate to the child or children at least one-half of his reduced
2 benefit, at the discretion of the board of trustees, the member shall have the cost of
3 the medical determination deducted from his retirement benefits.
4 * * *
5 Section 2. The cost of this Act, if any, shall be funded with additional employer
6 contributions in compliance with Article X, Section 29(F) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 14 Original 2026 Regular Session Wilder
Abstract: Provides for the designation of a child or children with a disability as a
beneficiary or beneficiaries for members of the Teachers' Retirement System of
Louisiana (TRSL).
Present law provides any member may make an irrevocable election, upon his retirement,
to receive a benefit allowance throughout his lifetime, or make an irrevocable election to
receive the actuarial equivalent of his reduced retirement benefit to allow a designated
beneficiary to receive a benefit throughout their lifetime.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law allows a member to designate a child or children with a permanent physical
or mental disability to receive a reduced portion of the member's benefit. Requires the
reduced benefit to be certified by the system's actuary and approved by the system's board
of trustees.
Proposed law provides that if a member designates a child or children with a disability to
receive a benefit pursuant to proposed law, a medical determination must be performed in
immediate proximity to the member's retirement or entry into the Deferred Retirement
Option Program.
Proposed law allows the member to request the medical determination to be done by the
system, but stipulates if the member does not allocate at least one-half of the benefit to the
child or children with a disability the cost of the medical determination is to be deducted
from the member's benefit.
Proposed law requires that any cost of proposed law be funded with additional employer
contributions in compliance with present constitution (Art. X, Sec. 29(F)).
(Amends R.S. 11:783(A)(2); Adds R.S. 11:783(A)(5))
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