§710. Employment of retirees who retired on or before June 30, 2020

            A. As used in this Section, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the context:

            (1) "Adjunct professor" means any part-time faculty, including any instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor, assigned the professional activities of instructing pupils or conducting research at a public institution of postsecondary education. Instruction may be provided in person or through an approved medium such as television, radio, computer, Internet, multimedia telephone, or correspondence and may be delivered inside or outside the classroom or in other teacher-student settings.

            (2) "Classroom teacher" means any employee, whose position of employment requires a valid Louisiana teaching certificate and who is assigned the professional activities of instructing pupils in courses in classroom situations for which daily pupil attendance figures for the school system are kept or is assigned to proctor admission, evaluation, or assessment testing; however, such proctoring shall not be considered a subject area for the purposes of Paragraph (3) of this Subsection. Such classroom situations may include teaching in school classrooms or in other settings such as homes or hospitals or other learning situations including cocurricular activities. Instruction may be provided in person or through an approved medium such as television, radio, computer, internet, multimedia telephone, or correspondence and may be delivered inside or outside the classroom or in other teacher-student settings.

            (3) "Critical shortage" means any situation in which the employer has advertised and posted a solicitation for certified teachers, has listed on the specified websites the positions that are unfilled or filled by reemployed retirees, and has received fewer than three certified applicants as provided in Subsection F of this Section.

            (4) "Reemployment-eligible critical shortage position" or "critical shortage position" means any of the following:

            (a) A position for a full-time or part-time classroom teacher who teaches any student in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in a school where a critical shortage exists.

            (b) A position for a full-time or part-time certified speech therapist, speech pathologist, audiologist, educational diagnostician, school social worker, school counselor, school psychologist, interpreter, educational transliterator, or educator of the deaf or hard of hearing whose position of employment requires a valid Louisiana ancillary certificate approved and issued by the state Department of Education in a school district where a critical shortage exists.

            (5) "Reemployment-eligible position" means any of the following:

            (a) A position for a substitute classroom teacher who teaches any student in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

            (b) A position assigned to the professional activities of instructing adults through an adult education or literacy program administered through a public institution of elementary or secondary education, provided the retiree has a valid Louisiana teaching certificate.

            (c) A position for an adjunct professor.

            (d) A position for a school nurse.

            (e) A position for a presenter of professional development training.

            (f) A position for a tutor for any student in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

            (g) A position for a classroom teacher employed in a temporary capacity to proctor tests.

            (6) "Reemployment-eligible retiree" means any of the following:

            (a) A member who was retired on or before June 30, 2010.

            (b) A retiree who holds an advanced degree in speech therapy, speech pathology, or audiology.

            (7) "Retired teacher" means any of the following:

            (a) A person reemployed in a reemployment-eligible position as defined in Paragraph (4) or (5) of this Subsection.

            (b) A reemployment-eligible retiree as defined in Paragraph (6) of this Subsection.

            (8) "School nurse" means the position provided for in R.S. 17:28.

            (9) "Substitute classroom teacher" means any classroom teacher employed in a temporary capacity to fill the position of another classroom teacher who is unavailable to teach for any reason.

            B.(1)(a) Any retired teacher who returns to active service covered by the provisions of this Chapter within the twelve-month period immediately following the effective date of such retirement shall have his retirement benefits suspended for the duration of such active service or the lapse of twelve months from the effective date of his retirement, whichever occurs first, even if such service is based on employment by contract or corporate contract.

            (b) The earnings of any retiree returning to active service in a reemployment-eligible position shall not exceed twenty-five percent of his benefit during any fiscal year. If actual earnings exceed this amount in any fiscal year, the benefits payable to the retiree shall be reduced by the amount in excess of twenty-five percent of his benefit.

            (c) If any retiree returns to active service in a position defined in more than one Subparagraph of Paragraph (A)(5) of this Section providing for earnings limitations, the most restrictive earnings limitation shall apply to the total earnings of the retiree for all such positions in a fiscal year.

            (d) If the reemployment of a retired teacher is based on an agreement between the retired teacher and his employer where such agreement was perfected prior to the retiree's effective date of retirement and where the agreement allows for the retiree to become reemployed within twelve months immediately following the effective date of his retirement, the retiree shall not be eligible to receive retirement benefits for the twelve-month period immediately following the effective date of such reemployment, regardless of whether such agreement is express or implied. The provisions of this Subparagraph shall be applied prospectively beginning on July 1, 2001.

            (2) No person who retires based on a disability shall be authorized to return to service pursuant to the provisions of this Section. Disability retirees shall be covered by the provisions of this Chapter applicable to disability retirees.

            (3) Except as provided in Paragraph (A)(6) of this Section, any person whose retirement benefit is calculated using an accrual rate less than two and one-half percent or whose benefit was actuarially reduced pursuant to R.S. 11:768(B)(2) or 761(A)(3)(b) or (4)(b) shall not be authorized to return to service pursuant to the provisions of this Section, unless the person has been retired for at least thirty-six months.

            C.(1) During the period of his return to active service, the retired teacher and his employer shall make contributions to the retirement system as provided by this Chapter, but the retiree shall receive no additional service credit and shall not accrue any additional retirement benefits in the retirement system. Upon termination of active service, the retired teacher shall, upon application, be refunded the employee contributions paid since reemployment. The refund shall be without interest. The retirement system shall retain the employer contributions.

            (2) Any retired member not considered a retired teacher as defined in Paragraph (A)(7) of this Section who returns to active service with an employer covered by the provisions of this Chapter shall have his benefit suspended for the duration of his period of reemployment even if such reemployment is based on employment by contract or corporate contract. The retiree and his employer shall not make contributions to the system during such time, and he shall receive no additional service credit and shall not accrue any additional retirement benefits.

            D. When any retiree returns to active service with an employer covered by the provisions of this Chapter, the employing agency shall, within thirty days thereafter, notify the board of trustees in writing of such employment, the date on which employment commenced, and a determination by the employer as to whether such person is a "retired teacher" pursuant to Paragraph (A)(7) of this Section. Upon termination, the agency shall provide the same notice. In addition, the employing agency shall also report to the retirement system within forty-five days after June thirtieth of each year, the names of all persons being paid by the employing agency and all persons having received a benefit pursuant to the provisions of this Section, along with such individuals' social security numbers, their positions, their designations as part-time or full-time, and the amount of their earnings during the previous fiscal year ending on June thirtieth of the reporting year. Additionally, the employing agency shall transmit a monthly contributions report pursuant to R.S. 11:888(A). Such monthly reports shall be transmitted within thirty days of the last day of each month and shall include the salary paid to each individual identified as a "retired teacher" pursuant to Paragraph (A)(7) of this Section. Should failure to give notice of return to active service or failure to report any other information required by this Section result in any payment being made in violation of this Section, the employing agency shall be liable to the system for the repayment of such amounts.

            E.(1) The salary of any retired teacher who is reemployed pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be based on the salary schedule which accounts for all prior years of teaching service and pertinent experience.

            (2) The status of any retired teacher who is reemployed pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be the same as a full-time active employee and shall be governed by the applicable rules, procedures, policies, and statutes that apply to all such full-time active employees.

            F.(1)(a) A retiree who is employed in a critical shortage position shall not receive a benefit during the period of his reemployment as provided in this Section unless and until the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the board of trustees of this system have received certification that a critical shortage exists. Prior to making such certification for any critical shortage position, the employer shall satisfy the requirements of Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph. If a certified applicant who is not a retiree applies for an advertised position, such person shall be hired before any certified retiree is employed, unless fewer than three applicants have applied for the position, each of whom is certified in the critical shortage area being filled.

            (b) For any position sought to be filled by employment of a retiree, the employer may certify the existence of a critical shortage only after complying with all of the following requirements:

            (i) Posting with the career development office, or similar such entity, of every postsecondary education institution within a one-hundred-twenty-mile radius of the employer's governing authority at the beginning of each semester a general statement that the employer is soliciting applications for future employment of certified teachers.

            (ii) Advertising at least once per month in the official journal of the employer's governing authority that the employer is soliciting applications for future employment of certified teachers.

            (iii) Prominently displaying a listing of positions that are unfilled or that are filled by reemployed retirees, including those positions filled under the provisions of Subsection G of this Section, on the website of the employer's governing authority and of the employer, if the employer maintains a separate website.

            (2) On an annual basis, the superintendent and personnel director of the school employing a retiree who returns to active service in a position defined in Subparagraph (A)(4)(a) of this Section shall certify a critical shortage area to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the board of trustees of this system.

            (3) On an annual basis, the employing school board for a retiree who returns to active service in a position defined in Subparagraph (A)(4)(b) of this Section shall certify to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the board of trustees of this system that a critical shortage exists for the position in the school district.

            G.(1) A retiree of this system who has been retired for at least twelve months and who did not retire based on a disability may be directly reemployed without suspension or reduction in benefit if either of the following apply:

            (a) The retiree is certified to teach mathematics, science, English language arts, or special education excluding gifted and talented and is reemployed to fill a position in the area of certification.

            (b) The retiree is certified, has at least thirty years of creditable service, has attained at least age sixty-two, and is reemployed to fill a vacancy created because a teacher is on maternity leave pursuant to R.S. 17:1211, military leave pursuant to R.S. 17:1215, sabbatical leave pursuant to R.S. 17:1171, or extended sick leave pursuant to R.S. 17:1202.

            (2) The provisions of this Subsection shall not apply to anyone reemployed by contract or corporate contract.

            (3) If a teacher who is not a retiree of this retirement system and who is certified in one of the areas listed in Subparagraph (1)(a) of this Subsection applies for a position in the area of certification filled at that time by a retiree reemployed under the provisions of Subparagraph (1)(a) of this Subsection, that nonretiree shall be employed to replace the retiree at the start of the next grading period.

            (4) The provisions of this Subsection shall terminate July 1, 2027.

            H. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this Section shall be applicable only to a retiree who retired on or before June 30, 2020.

            Acts 2001, No. 1173, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 605, §1, eff. June 27, 2003; Acts 2010, No. 921, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 347, §1, eff. July 1, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 228, §1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2012, No. 297, §§1, 2, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2015, No. 149, §1, eff. June 30, 2015; Acts 2017, No. 15, §1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2017, No. 120, §1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2018, No. 492, §1, eff. July 1, 2018; Acts 2018, No. 613, §1, eff. July 1, 2018; Acts 2020, No. 337, §1; Acts 2022, No. 549, §1, eff. May 31, 2022; Acts 2022, No. 601, §1, eff. May 31, 2022; Acts 2024, No. 394, §1, eff. July 1, 2024.