HLS 15RS-417 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 141
BY REPRESENTATIVE SEABAUGH
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: Provides relative to authorized payroll withholdings for public
employees
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 23:890(F) and R.S. 42:456(A)(1) and 457.1 and to repeal R.S.
3 17:438 and R.S. 42:457, relative to public employee payroll withholdings; to remove
4 authority for certain payroll withholdings; to provide for certain withholdings for
5 professional law enforcement officers and firefighters; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 23:890(F) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
9 §890. Labor policy
10 * * *
11 F. Employees of such publicly owned and/or or operated transportation
12 systems hereafter acquired may authorize and upon such authorization the aforesaid
13 municipality, transit authority, or other authority organized for the purpose may
14 make deductions from wages and salaries of such employees:
15 (1) Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with a duly designated or
16 certified labor organization for the payment of union dues, fees or assessments.
17 (2) For the payment of contributions pursuant to any health and welfare plan
18 or pension or retirement plan, and.
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are additions. HLS 15RS-417 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 141
1 (3) (2) For any purposes for which deductions may be authorized by
2 employees of any private employer.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. R.S. 42:456(A)(1) and 457.1 are hereby amended and reenacted to read
5as follows:
6 §456. Permitted withholdings
7 A. Payroll deductions shall be authorized only for the following:
8 (1) Mandated federal or state income withholdings, credit unions,
9 garnishments, liens, union dues, savings bonds programs, qualified United Way
10 entities, health and life insurance products offered through the Office of Group
11 Benefits, and products having state participating contributions, sponsored by the
12 Office of Group Benefits, which qualify and are offered under Section 125 of the
13 Internal Revenue Code (Cafeteria Plan).
14 * * *
15 §457.1. Professional law enforcement and firefighter association dues
16 Any employee of the state or of any political subdivision of the state may
17 authorize his employer to withhold from his salary a specific amount for such pay
18 periods as may be designated, for payment of his dues to any professional state or
19 local law enforcement or firefighter association or union which is located or is
20 operating a chapter within the respective jurisdiction and to which the employee
21 belongs. The employee must shall voluntarily execute and furnish to the employer
22 a written and specific authorization for such deduction. Upon receipt of such
23 authorization, and in accordance with the instructions contained therein, the
24 employer shall begin to make such deductions. The amounts withheld shall be
25 remitted forthwith to the organization designated by the employee. The provisions
26 of this Section shall not apply to any employee of the local sheriff's office or parish
27 law enforcement district.
28 Section 3. R.S. 17:438 and R.S. 42:457 are hereby repealed in their entirety.
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HB NO. 141
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 141 Original 2015 Regular Session Seabaugh
Abstract: Removes authority for teachers, school board employees, and public employees
to withhold payroll deductions for union fees.
Present law (R.S. 23:890) provides for the labor policy when a municipality or transit
authority acquires or operates a transportation facility.
Present law allows that employees of the acquired facility may authorize deductions of
wages and salaries for the following purposes:
(1) Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with a duly designated or certified
labor organization for the payment of union dues, fees, or assessments.
(2) For the payment of contributions pursuant to any health and welfare plan or pension
or retirement plan.
(3) For any purposes for which deductions may be authorized by employees of any
private employer.
Proposed law removes union dues as an authorized deduction.
Present law (R.S. 42:456) authorizes state employee payroll withholdings for the following:
(1)Mandated federal or state income withholdings, credit unions, garnishments, liens,
union dues, savings bonds programs, qualified United Way entities, health and life
insurance products offered through the Office of Group Benefits, products having
state participating contributions, sponsored by the Office of Group Benefits, which
qualify and are offered under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code (Cafeteria
Plan).
(2)Products offered without state contributory participation which have been evaluated
and approved in accordance with rules and procedures promulgated by the
commissioner of administration.
Proposed law removes union dues as an authorized payroll withholding.
Present law (R.S. 17:438) provides that any teacher or school board employee may authorize
the school board to deduct organization dues from his earnings.
Present law (R.S. 17:438) provides that no deductions can be made unless 50 such
employees or 10% of the total number of employees (whichever is less) request the
deduction.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law (R.S. 42:457) authorizes any state, parish, or city employee to withhold from his
salary a specific amount for payment of his dues to any labor organization to which he
belongs.
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HB NO. 141
Proposed law repeals present law.
(Amends R.S. 23:890(F) and R.S. 42:456(A)(1) and 457.1; Repeals R.S. 17:438 and R.S.
42:457)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.