SLS 21RS-66 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 25
BY SENATOR POPE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
SHERIFFS. Provides for payment of certain group insurance costs. (8/1/21)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 13:5554(D) and (G)(1), relative to group insurance available to
3 sheriff's departments; to provide for payment of certain costs associated with group
4 and self-insurance plans; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 13:5554(D) and (G)(1) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
7 follows:
8 ยง5554. Group insurance; kinds; amounts; subrogation
9 * * *
10 D. Any policy or self-insurance plan providing group hospital, surgical,
11 medical expense, or life insurance contracted for under the provisions of this Section
12 shall contain a provision authorizing any covered employee retiring under his
13 sheriff's department retirement plan to elect to continue such this coverage upon
14 retirement. The premium cost, administrative costs or benefit payments of any
15 self-insurance plan of such this coverage may be paid in full or in part from the
16 sheriff's general funds or by the retired employee. A uniform policy with respect to
17 the payment of such these premiums shall be formulated and applied by each sheriff.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 25
SLS 21RS-66 ORIGINAL
1 * * *
2 G.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection D of this Section, the
3 premium costs, administrative costs or benefit payments of any self-insurance
4 plan of group hospital, surgical, medical expense, and dental insurance and the first
5 ten thousand dollars of life insurance contracted for under the provisions of this
6 Section shall be paid in full from the sheriff's general fund for all sheriffs and deputy
7 sheriffs retired with at least fifteen years of service who are at least fifty-five years
8 of age or retired with at least thirty years of service at any age. The provisions of this
9 Subsection shall be applicable only to the sheriffs' offices of the parishes of Bossier,
10 St. Bernard, St. Martin, Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu,
11 Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, East Feliciana, Grant, Iberville, Jackson,
12 Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe
13 Coupee, Rapides, Red River, St. James, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Vernon,
14 Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, and West Feliciana and the sheriff
15 of the Civil District Court of the parish of Orleans, for their respective retirees. The
16 provisions of this Subsection shall also apply to the employees of the Sheriffs'
17 Pension and Relief Fund and the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, which fund and
18 association shall pay the premium costs for their employees.
19 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Thomas L. Tyler.
DIGEST
SB 25 Original 2021 Regular Session Pope
Present law authorizes sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to be insured under a policy, or policies,
of group life, health, accident, accidental death and dismemberment, hospital, surgical or
medical expense insurance in amounts contracted by the officers of the La. Sheriffs'
Association (Association). Further authorizes coverage for dependents of sheriffs and deputy
sheriffs under group policies providing hospital, surgical or medical expense insurance as
contracted by the Association. Authorizes the officers of the Association to adopt a
self-insurance plan to provide group coverage for health, medical, and surgical expenses of
participating sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. Proposed law retains these provisions.
Present law requires that any policy or self-insurance plan contracted for contain a provision
authorizing any covered employee retiring under his sheriff's department retirement plan to
elect to continue coverage upon retirement and that the premium cost may be paid in full or
in part from the sheriff's general funds or by the retired employee under a uniform policy
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 25
SLS 21RS-66 ORIGINAL
with respect to payment of premiums formulated and applied by each sheriff.
Proposed law retains these provisions but provides that in addition to payment of premium
cost, the administrative costs or benefit payments of any self-insurance plan of may be paid
in full or in part from the sheriff's general funds or by the retired employee.
Present law provides that as to group hospital, surgical, medical expense, and dental
insurance and the first $10,000 of life insurance contracted for under the policy or
self-insurance plan, the premium cost shall be paid in full from the sheriff's general fund for
all sheriffs and deputy sheriffs retired with at least 15 years of service who are at least 55
years or retired with at least 30 years at any age. Applies only to sheriffs' offices of the
parishes of Bossier, St. Bernard, St. Martin, Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo,
Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, East Feliciana, Grant, Iberville,
Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe
Coupee, Rapides, Red River, St. James, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Vernon,
Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, and West Feliciana and the sheriff of the
Civil District Court of the parish of Orleans, for their respective retirees. Applies also to
employees of the Sheriffs' Pension and Relief Fund and the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association,
which Fund and Association is to pay the premium costs for their employees.
Proposed law retains these provisions but provides that in addition to the premium cost, the
sheriff's general fund also pay the administrative costs or benefit payment of any policy or
self-insurance plan for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs retired with at least 15 years of service
who are at least 55 years or retired with at least 30 years at any age.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 13:5554(D) and (G)(1))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.