Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
ACT No. 242026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 25
BY REPRESENTATIVE SPELL
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 11:784(A) and (C)(2), relative to the Teachers' Retirement
3 System of Louisiana; to provide relative to compliance with amendments to the
4 Internal Revenue Code; to provide relative to the commencement of benefit
5 payments; to provide relative to certain elections by a surviving spouse; to provide
6 for effectiveness; and to 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. 11:784(A) and (C)(2) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
12 follows:
13 §784. Payment of benefits
14 A. The retirement system shall pay all benefits in accordance with a good
15 faith interpretation of the requirements of Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue
16 Code and related federal regulations, as applicable to a governmental plan within the
17 meaning of Section 414(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. The payment of benefits
18 to or on behalf of a member shall commence not later than April first following the
19 calendar year in which the member retires, or attains age seventy and one-half years
20 the member's required beginning date, whichever is later. For the purposes of this
21 Section, "required beginning date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
22 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code.
23 * * *
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 25 ENROLLED
1 C.
2 * * *
3 (2) Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall not apply to any portion of a
4 member's benefit which is payable to or for the benefit of a designated beneficiary
5 or beneficiaries, over the life of or over the life expectancy of such beneficiary, so
6 long as such distributions begin not later than December thirty-first of the calendar
7 year immediately following the calendar year of the member's death, or, in the case
8 of the member's surviving spouse, December thirty-first of the calendar year in
9 which the member would have attained the age of seventy and one-half years
10 reached his required beginning date, or April first following the calendar year in
11 which the surviving spouse reaches the spouse's required beginning date if the
12 surviving spouse submits to the retirement system at least thirty days prior to any
13 required distributions, or the deadline provided by federal law or regulation, an
14 acceptable election, as provided by the system, to be treated as a member for this
15 purpose. If the designated beneficiary is the member's surviving spouse and if the
16 surviving spouse dies before the distribution of benefits commences, then
17 Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be applied as if the surviving spouse were the
18 member. If the designated beneficiary is a child of the member, for purposes of
19 satisfying the requirement of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, any amount paid to
20 such child shall be treated as if paid to the member's surviving spouse if such amount
21 would become payable to such surviving spouse, if alive, upon the child's reaching
22 age eighteen or, if later, upon the child's completing a designated event. For
23 purposes of the preceding sentence, a designated event shall be the later of the date
24 the child no longer has a disability or the date the child ceases to be a full-time
25 student, or attains age twenty-three, if earlier.
26 * * *
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 25 ENROLLED
1 Section 2. The cost of this Act, if any, shall be funded with additional employer
2 contributions in compliance with Article X, Section 29(F) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
3 Section 3. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.