§927. Contributions

            A. Each participant shall contribute monthly to the optional retirement plan the same amount which the participant would be required to contribute to the regular retirement plan of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana if the participant were a member of that retirement plan. Participant contributions may be made by employer pick-up in accordance with the provisions of Section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code or any amendment thereto. The entirety of each participant's contribution, less the participant's share of any monthly fee established by the board to cover the cost of administration and maintenance of the optional retirement plan, shall be remitted to the appropriate designated company or companies for application to the participant's contract or contracts.

            B.(1) Prior to July 1, 2014, each employer institution and board shall contribute to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana on behalf of each participant in the optional retirement plan the same amount it would have contributed if the participant had been a member of the regular retirement plan of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana. Upon receipt of this contribution, the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall promptly pay over to the appropriate designated company or companies an amount equal to the employer's portion of the normal cost contribution as determined annually by the Public Retirement Systems' Actuarial Committee, this amount to be credited to the participant's contract or contracts. The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall retain the balance of this contribution for application to the unfunded accrued liability of the system.

            (2)(a) Beginning July 1, 2014, and continuing through Fiscal Year 2017-2018, each higher education board created by Article VIII of the Constitution of Louisiana and each employer institution and agency under its supervision and control shall contribute to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana on behalf of each participant in the optional retirement plan the sum of:

            (i) The amounts calculated pursuant to R.S. 11:102(D)(6)(b), (c), and (d).

            (ii) An amount equal to or greater than the equivalent of the employer's portion of the normal cost contribution of the regular retirement plan.

            (b) Beginning July 1, 2018, each constitutionally established board which manages public postsecondary education institutions and each employer institution and agency under its supervision and control shall contribute to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana on behalf of each participant in the optional retirement plan the sum of:

            (i) The amounts calculated pursuant to R.S. 11:102(D)(6)(b), (c), and (d).

            (ii) An amount not less than six and two-tenths percent of pay.

            (c)(i) Each board may establish by resolution an amount in excess of the minimum required by Item (b)(ii) of this Paragraph. The amount established shall be the same for all employer institutions and agencies under each board's supervision and control and shall be effective for an entire fiscal year.

            (ii) For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, each board shall submit to the retirement system such resolution no later than July 15, 2025, in order for an amount established pursuant to this Subparagraph to become effective. For each fiscal year thereafter, the system shall receive such resolution no later than June first in order for a new rate to become effective for the next fiscal year. If the system does not receive a resolution containing a contribution amount by the required deadline, the system shall apply the most recent contribution amount paid by such board or employer institution or the minimum required by Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, whichever is greater.

            (d) Upon receipt of this contribution, the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall promptly pay over to the appropriate designated company or companies an amount equal to the amount established by the applicable board pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph or the minimum required by Item (b)(ii) of this Paragraph, whichever is greater.

            (e) All amounts paid over to the appropriate designated company or companies pursuant to this Paragraph shall be credited to the participant's contract or contracts. The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall retain the balance of this contribution for application to the unfunded accrued liability of the system.

            (f) Repealed by Acts 2025, No. 47, §2, eff. July 1, 2025.

            (3)(a) Beginning July 1, 2014, for each employer that is not a constitutionally established board which manages public postsecondary education institutions or an employer institution under the supervision and control of such a board, each such employer institution and board shall contribute to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana on behalf of each participant in the optional retirement plan the sum of:

            (i) The amounts calculated pursuant to R.S. 11:102(D)(6)(b), (c), and (d).

            (ii) Six and two-tenths percent of pay.

            (b) Upon receipt of this contribution, the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall promptly pay over to the appropriate designated company or companies an amount equal to the amount set forth in Item (a)(ii) of this Paragraph.

            (c) All amounts paid over to the appropriate designated company or companies pursuant to this Paragraph shall be credited to the participant's contract or contracts. The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall retain the balance of the contribution for application to the unfunded accrued liability of the system.

            (4) Beginning July 1, 2026, in addition to any contributions otherwise required to be submitted to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana pursuant to this Subsection, each employer shall contribute to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana on behalf of each participant in the optional retirement plan the employer's share of any monthly fee established by the board to cover the cost of administration and maintenance of the optional retirement plan. The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall retain the contribution to cover the cost of administration and maintenance of the optional retirement plan.

            C. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections A and B of this Section, the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana shall not remit any funds or contributions to any company or companies from an employer institution or board until the correct and total amount, rounded to the nearest dollar amount, to be remitted to the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana under Subsections A and B of this Section is received each month from the employer institution or board.

            D. If a participant first became eligible for membership in the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana, or this Optional Retirement Plan, on or after July 1, 1996, the contributions remitted by the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana to any authorized company shall not be based upon compensation in excess of the annual limit of Section 401(a)(17) of the United States Internal Revenue Code as amended and revised.

            E. Effective January 1, 2009, to the extent required by 26 U.S.C. 414(u)(12), any differential wage payment, as defined by 26 U.S.C. 3401(h)(2), of which is made by any employer to any individual performing qualified military service shall be treated as earnable compensation for purposes of applying the limits on annual additions under 26 U.S.C. 415(c), and any participant of the optional retirement plan shall be treated as an employee of the employer making such payment.

            F.(1) Any monthly fee established by the board to cover the cost of administration and maintenance of the optional retirement plan shall be expressed as a percentage of the participant's earnable compensation. The participant's share of the monthly fee shall be the lesser of:

            (a) One-half of the total monthly fee.

            (b) Five-hundredths of one percent of the participant's earnable compensation.

            (2) The employer's share of the monthly fee shall be the balance remaining after payment of the participant's share.

            Acts 1989, No. 90, §1; Acts 1991, No. 836, §1, eff. July 1, 1991; Redesignated from R.S. 17:777 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §§3 and 5, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1995, No. 586, §1, eff. July 1, 1995; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 88, §1, eff. July 1, 1998; Acts 2012, No. 510, §1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2014, No. 607, §1, eff. June 30, 2014; Acts 2016, No. 95, §1, eff. June 30, 2016; Acts 2024, No. 109, §1, eff. June 30, 2024; Acts 2025, No. 47, §§1, 2, eff. July 1, 2025.

NOTE: See Acts 2014, No. 607, §2, relative to funding the increased contributions provided for in this Section.