§3684. Creditable service
A. Immediately after August 1, 1971, the board of trustees shall request all
information regarding members from the retirement system in which they have previously
held membership. Upon verification of the statements of service the board shall issue a prior
service certificate certifying to each member the length of prior service for which credit shall
have been allowed on the basis of these certified statements of service. So long as
membership continues a prior service certificate shall be final and conclusive for retirement
purposes as to such service, provided that any member may, within one year from the date
of issuance or modification of such certificate, request the board of trustees to modify or
correct his prior service certificate.
B. When membership ceases, such prior service certificate shall become null and
void. Should the employee again become a member of the system, he shall enter the system
as an employee not entitled to prior service credit, unless he is granted a disability allowance
and returns to employment upon recovery. In such case he shall be given credit for all
previous service including the time he draws disability benefits.
C. Creditable service at retirement on which the retirement allowance of a member
shall be based shall consist of the membership service rendered by him since he last became
a member, and, also, if he has a prior service certificate which is in full force and effect, the
amount of service certified on his prior service certificate.
D. Anything in this Subpart to the contrary notwithstanding, any person who shall
have been an employee as defined in R.S. 11:3682(16) any time subsequent to September 16,
1940, who shall have entered the armed forces of the United States during time of war or
have been inducted into said forces in time of peace subsequent to said date, shall be entitled
to prior service credit for the period that he served in the armed forces of the United States,
not to exceed four years, provided he is not granted credit for such service in any other
retirement system, and provided he becomes a member of this system on August 1, 1971.
E. Conversion of annual and sick leave to retirement credit. As used in this
Subsection, the term "unused sick leave and unused annual leave" shall mean that portion of
accrued leave which exceeds the maximum amount of accrued leave payable in accordance
with state civil service provisions.
(1) At the time of regular retirement of any member, after having been paid for the
number of hours of annual leave payable in accordance with state civil service provisions,
he shall be given credit for all unused sick and unused annual leave as creditable service to
be used in computing his retirement benefits.
(2) Any member participating in the deferred retirement option plan on July 1, 2008,
or any member thereafter choosing to enter the deferred retirement option plan shall have the
following options:
(a) Elect to use all unused sick leave and unused annual leave as creditable service
in computing his deferred retirement option plan benefit.
(b) Elect to specify a portion of unused sick leave and unused annual leave to be used
as creditable service in computing his deferred retirement option plan benefit.
(c) Elect to use none of his unused sick leave and unused annual leave as creditable
service in computing his deferred retirement option plan benefit.
(3) Upon completion of the term of the deferred retirement option plan and
termination of employment, after having been paid for the number of hours of annual leave
payable in accordance with state civil service provisions, such member shall have the
following options:
(a) Be given credit for all unused sick leave and unused annual leave as creditable
service to be used in computing an additional benefit to be added to the original deferred
retirement option plan benefit.
(b) Request in writing that in lieu of the foregoing conversion of unused sick leave
and unused annual leave to retirement credit, he be paid for such leave in a lump sum for the
amount of leave that could otherwise be converted to retirement credit. Alternatively, such
member who has unused sick leave or unused annual leave that if converted to retirement
credit would exceed one hundred percent of the member's average compensation shall be
entitled to be paid for such leave in excess of one hundred percent of average compensation
at its actuarial value as if it were converted to retirement credit without regard to the one
hundred percent cap. Under either of the two options authorized by this Subparagraph, the
amount paid shall be the actuarial value of such leave if converted to retirement credit as
determined by the retirement system's actuary. The cost for such actuarial determination
shall be paid by the member. Payment shall be made only upon retirement.
(4) The provisions of Paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Subsection shall be applicable
to any person who participates in the deferred retirement option plan on or after July 1, 2008.
(5) The provisions of this Subsection shall not be applicable to a member requesting
retirement pursuant to the disability retirement provisions of this Subpart.
F. Any member who has terminated membership in the plan for any reason and has
withdrawn his contributions and who later is reemployed and becomes a member of the
system, shall after eighteen months of additional service and membership, be eligible to
obtain credit for his prior service in the system, provided that he pay back into the system the
amount of the contributions which had been refunded to him plus compound interest from
the date of the refund until the date of repurchase. The compound interest rate to be used in
the computation of the amount the member must pay back into the system shall be the
actuarially assumed interest rate in the most recent actuarial valuation.
Acts 1971, No. 80, §4, designated by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts
2004, No. 621, §1, eff. July 5, 2004; Acts 2008, No. 502, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2014,
No. 648, §2, eff. July 1, 2015.