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A.  Eligibility for disability benefits, procedures for application for disability benefits, procedures for the certification of continuing eligibility for disability benefits, the authority of the board of trustees to modify disability benefits, and procedures governing the restoration to active service for an employee who formerly had a disability are specifically described and provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 11:201 through 224.

B.(1)  Upon the application of a member in service the member may be retired by the board of trustees, on a disability retirement allowance, provided that the medical board, after a medical examination of the member, certifies that the member is mentally or physically incapacitated for the further performance of the duties being performed, that the incapacity is likely to be total and permanent, and that the member should be retired.

(2)  Disability benefits shall become effective as of the date an application for disability retirement is filed in the office of the director or the day after the member terminates from service, whichever is later.

(3)(a)  A person whose system membership began on or before June 30, 2006, applying for a disability benefit shall have five years of actual credited service in order to qualify for a disability benefit.  A member shall not use credit earned while receiving workers’ compensation or while on extended leave, special leave, or advanced leave in order to meet the prescribed minimum five-year eligibility requirement; however, any member receiving workers’ compensation prior to January 1, 1991, shall be allowed to use credit earned while receiving workers’ compensation to meet the minimum five-year eligibility requirement.

(b)  A person whose system membership began on or after July 1, 2006, applying for a disability benefit shall have ten years of actual credited service in order to qualify for a disability benefit.  A member shall not use credit earned while receiving workers’ compensation or while on extended leave, special leave, or advanced leave in order to meet the prescribed minimum ten-year eligibility requirement.

C.(1)  The board of trustees shall award disability benefits to eligible members who have been officially certified as having a disability by the State Medical Disability Board.

(2)(a)(i)  A disability retiree whose membership in the system began on or before June 30, 2006, who is not eligible to receive a regular service retirement allowance shall receive a disability retirement allowance equal to two and one-half percent of his average compensation multiplied by his years of creditable service, but not less than thirty-three and one-third percent of his average compensation, and he shall not be allowed an optional allowance.

(ii)  A disability retiree whose membership in the system began on or after July 1, 2006, whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or before June 30, 2010, who is not eligible to receive a regular service retirement allowance and who has at least ten years of creditable service, shall receive a disability retirement allowance equal to three percent of his average compensation multiplied by his years of creditable service.

(iii)  A disability retiree whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or after July 1, 2010, shall receive a maximum disability retirement benefit which shall be equivalent to the regular retirement formula without reduction by reason of age.

(b)(i)  If a disability retiree whose eligibility for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or before June 30, 2010, dies and leaves a surviving spouse who had been married to the deceased disability retiree for at least two years prior to the death of the disability retiree, the surviving spouse shall receive a survivor’s benefit equal to seventy-five percent of the benefit being received by the disability retiree at his death.  Benefits shall cease upon remarriage.

(ii)  For disability retirees whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or after July 1, 2010, selection of a retirement option shall be made when application for disability is filed.  If the disability retiree dies, the option selected upon disability retirement shall be applied to his disability retirement benefit.

(c)  A disability retiree who is receiving a disability retirement benefit on or before June 30, 1989, and whose benefit is less than thirty-three and one-third percent of his average compensation shall have his benefit increased to thirty-three and one-third percent of his average compensation effective July 1, 1989, which increase shall not be retroactive.  If such a disability retiree dies after June 30, 1989, no survivor benefits shall be payable.

(3)  A disability retiree whose membership began on or before June 30, 2006, upon attainment of the earliest age that he would normally become eligible for a regular retirement benefit, if he had continued in service without further change in compensation, shall become a regular retiree; however, his maximum benefit shall not be less than his disability benefit.  The years that he is on disability retirement shall not be used in the computation of his regular retirement benefit.

(4)(a)  Regardless of the effective date of his retirement and notwithstanding the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 11:220(A) and 221(C), a disability retiree whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or before June 30, 2015, shall no longer be required to submit to regular medical exams nor to file the annual income report upon attainment of age sixty.

(b)  Regardless of the effective date of his retirement and notwithstanding the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 11:220(A) and 221(C), a disability retiree whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or after July 1, 2015, shall no longer be required to submit to regular medical exams nor to file the annual income report upon attainment of age sixty-two.

Acts 1965, No. 79, §6; Acts 1970, No. 51, §7; Acts 1971, No. 166, §1; Acts 1978, No. 727, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1979; Acts 1979, No. 436, §1; Acts 1989, No. 500, §1; Acts 1990, No. 421, §1, eff. Sept.  1, 1990; Acts 1990, No. 424, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 17:914 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 2001, No. 307, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2006, No. 578, §1, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2010, No. 318, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 992, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2011, No. 368, §1, eff. July 1, 2011; Acts 2014, No. 226, §1, eff. June 30, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 680, §1, eff. June 30, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE:  Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).