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A.  Any member of the Harbor Police Retirement Plan who would otherwise be eligible for benefits under this plan except that his first employment making him eligible for membership in the Harbor Police Retirement Plan occurred on or before June 30, 2014, and who has not participated in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan in the Harbor Police Retirement Plan shall have the right to irrevocably elect to become a member of this plan by submitting an application to the board of trustees to become effective on or after July 1, 2015.

B.  Any eligible member who elects to transfer to the Hazardous Duty Services Plan from the Harbor Police Retirement Plan shall have the option of:

(1)  Maintaining prior service credit in the Harbor Police Retirement Plan pursuant to the provisions of that plan and accruing service credit and benefits in the Hazardous Duty Services Plan after the date he joins the plan.  If such election results in an actuarial cost to this system, the member shall pay the system the amount of such actuarial cost prior to his retirement.

(2)(a)  An internal actuarial transfer from the Harbor Police Retirement Plan to this plan in accordance with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 11:143(C) and (D) in which the member transfers all of his service credit from the Harbor Police Retirement Plan and maintains prior service credit at the accrual rate at which it was earned in such plan prior to joining the Hazardous Duty Services Plan.  If the amount of funds transferred is less than the actuarial cost of the service transferred, the member transferring, except as otherwise provided in this Section, shall pay the deficit or difference, including the interest thereon at the board-approved actuarial valuation rate of the system.

(b)  In lieu of paying the deficit or difference plus interest, the member may, at his option but only at the time of transfer, be granted an amount of credit in this plan which is based on the amount of funds actually transferred plus any additional funds less than the deficit paid by the member.

(c)  A member who completes a transfer under the provisions of this Paragraph shall have his retirement benefit calculated using the accrual rate of the plan from which he transferred based on the number of years transferred.

C.  A member whose first employment making him eligible for membership in the Harbor Police Retirement Plan occurred on or before June 30, 2015, who elects to join this plan shall thereafter for purposes of all state retirement systems be treated as an employee whose membership is governed by the provisions of Act No. 992 of the 2010 Regular Session of the Legislature.

Acts 2014, No. 648, §2, see Act for effective date.

NOTE:  See Acts 2014, No. 648, §6(B), regarding contingent eff. date.