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 42 Original 2018 Regular Session Jones
Abstract: Provides for enrollment of new registrars of voters and new hires of an office of registrar
of voters in the La. State Employees' Retirement System (LASERS) and for incorporation
of the existing Registrars of Voters Employees' Retirement System (ROVERS) into
LASERS.
Proposed law generally provides for enrollment of newly appointed registrars of voters and new hires
of an office of registrar of voters into LASERS, effective July 1, 2018, and for merger of the existing
ROVERS into LASERS, as more fully explained below.
Newly appointed registrars of voters and new hires of an office of registrar of voters
Present law establishes a rank and file plan in LASERS, a state retirement system. Members of such
plan whose first employment making them eligible for membership in a La. state retirement system
occurs on or after July 1, 2015, receive a 2.5% accrual rate with an employee contribution rate of 8%.
Members of such plan are eligible to retire with 5 years of service at age 62.
Present law provides that any registrar of voters, employee of a registrar of voters, employee of
ROVERS or employee of the La. Registrar of Voters Association, Inc., shall be a member of
ROVERS. Proposed law instead places any registrar of voters or employee of an office of a registrar
of voters first hired or appointed on or after July 1, 2018, in the rank and file plan in LASERS.
Members of the Registrars of Voters Employees' Retirement System on or before June 30,
2018
Present law establishes ROVERS as a statewide retirement system to provide for the retirement of
any registrar of voters in the state of La., any deputy or permanent employee of the office of registrar
of voters in any parish, any employee of ROVERS, or any employee of the La. Registrar of Voters
Association, Inc. Proposed law abolishes ROVERS as an independent retirement system and
recreates it as a plan (the ROVER Plan) within LASERS for ROVER Plan members hired or
appointed before July 1, 2018.
Present law authorizes the ROVERS board to provide permanent benefit increases (PBIs) to retirees
in certain circumstances. Proposed law provides that future PBIs for ROVER Plan retirees and
beneficiaries shall be calculated and granted pursuant to present law relative to LASERS. Proposed
law retains all other plan provisions relative to members of ROVERS provided by present law
including the calculation of employee and employer contributions as they apply to members of the ROVER Plan.
Proposed law authorizes active members of the ROVER Plan to transfer service credit to LASERS.
Requires the member to pay any actuarial cost, calculated according to present law, for such
transfers.
Transfer of ROVERS assets, liabilities, and plan administration
Present law provides for the administration of ROVERS by a board of trustees comprised of active,
retired, and ex officio members. Proposed law repeals the ROVERS board on July 1, 2018, and
provides that the ROVER Plan shall be administered by the LASERS board after the merger.
Proposed law provides that LASERS, with the cooperation of ROVERS' professional consultants,
shall determine the most appropriate methods to properly account for payment of the unfunded
accrued liability attributable to ROVERS, to facilitate the transition of ROVER Plan funds to
LASERS, and to transfer assets and administrative duties of the ROVER Plan to LASERS. Further
provides that the LASERS board of trustees shall complete the transfer of all administrative
functions from ROVERS within two years after July 1, 2018.
Effective July 1, 2018.
(Amends R.S. 11:102(C)(3)(m), 182(A)(1), 251, 2031(1), (7), (10), (11), (14), (15), (17), (18), and
(21), 2032, 2034, 2035, 2051, 2052, 2053, 2054, 2062(C), 2072(A) and (B), 2075, 2077(C), 2078,
2096(A), (B), (D)(1), and (E)(1)(intro. para.) and (2), 2111(B), 2141(1), 2144(C) through (I),
2163(C), 2164(B), 2165.1, 2165.2(A)(2), 2165.3, 2165.5; Adds R.S. 11:102(C)(3)(n), 411(10), 641,
642, and 2031(16.1); Repeals R.S. 11:243(A)(6), 246(A)(6), 2061, 2073, 2091-2095, 2096(C), and
2112-2115)