Legislative Update

The following bills are scheduled to be heard on May 3 during the Senate Committee on Retirement meeting at 1:00pm:



SB 274 - Heitmeier - Requires a charter school teacher, who is an active member of the teachers ' retirement system, to remain an active member for the duration of employment at the charter school, under certain circumstances.
SB 694 - B. Gautreaux - Requires membership in the Teachers' Retirement System for charter school teachers.
SB 729 - Shaw -Mandates that 50 percent of the net investment gains for the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana be credited to the system's account that funds retirement benefit increases.  This amount is to be credited before the $200 million allocation to reduce unfunded accrued liability. The present law states the 50 percent investment gain be credited after the $200 million allocation. The bill also reduces the eligibility age from 60 to 55 for those recipients eligible for benefi t increases. The bill also allows a benefit increase in years that the system is below 80 percent funded and fails to exceed the actuarially assumed rate of return.


The following bills are scheduled to be heard for final passage on May 3 during the House Session:



HB 561 - Baldone - Provides that certain educational diagnosticians who hold a valid Louisiana teaching certificate, state educational diagnostician certification, and the Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician (NCED) credential are eligible to receive an annual salary supplement of $5,000 (subject to appropriation of funds).


The following bills are scheduled to be heard for final passage on May 3 during the Senate Session:



SB 293- Donahue - Requires an annual internal review by each agency of employee vacancies and attrition rates.  Establishes the goal of attaining strategic reductions in positions by five percent annually for three years and requires annual reports to the Commission on Streamlining Government.


The following bills are scheduled to be heard for debate on May 6 during the House Session:


HB 43 - Hardy - Increases the drug free zone of any school property, drug treatment facility, religious building property, public housing authority property, or child day care facility from 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet.
HB 556 - Wooton - Eliminates present law prohibiting the carrying of a concealed handgun within 1,000 feet of a school. The proposed law would allow any holder of a concealed handgun permit to carry his/her handgun within 1,000 feet of a school while retaining the ban on concealed handguns in school buildings, on school property, or in a school bus.


The foll0wing bills are due for final passage in the House, subject to call:



HB 405 - Dixon - Requires BESE to establish and adopt rules and regulations on the use of physical restraint and/or seclusion of students.
HB 1014 - Norton - Requires local school boards to provide planning time to each teacher -- a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch each day that is d uty-free and a minimum of 45 minutes daily or its weekly equivalent. These planning times and lunch periods will not result in a longer school day. Current law states that the availability of state funding for this purpose is a condition for the effectiveness of the present law. This proposed measure removes the funding requirement of present law.
HB 1055 - Richmond - Eliminates the Division of Adult and Family Services within LDOE and transfers the responsibility for adult and family services programs from BESE to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS).


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