Provides relative to certain retirees of the East Carroll Parish Sheriff's Dept. (EN NO IMPACT LF EX See Note)
Summary
HB 189 creates a new provision in Louisiana law governing group insurance benefits for certain retirees of the East Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office. It requires the sheriff to pay 100% of the premium costs for group hospital, surgical, medical expense, vision, dental, and life insurance for eligible sheriff or deputy sheriff retirees who retire directly from the office on or after January 1, 2022 and qualify for benefits from the Sheriff's Pension and Relief Fund.
Eligibility is limited to retirees who meet one of three service-and-age combinations: at least age 62 with 15 years of service credit, including 12 years with the East Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office; at least age 55 with 20 years of service credit, including 15 years with the office; or at least 30 years of service credit, including 20 years with the office, regardless of age. The bill is a local, office-specific benefit statute rather than a statewide change affecting all sheriffs.
Impact
The bill amends R.S. 13:5554 by adding Subsection NN, creating a mandatory insurance premium obligation for the East Carroll Parish sheriff from the sheriff's general fund. It affects only the East Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office and only those retirees meeting the specified retirement and service criteria, while leaving the broader statewide framework for sheriff retiree insurance unchanged except for this local exception.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 97-0 and the Senate 37-0, with an additional unanimous Senate vote on co-authors, indicating strong bipartisan approval and no recorded opposition in the available voting history. The caption also notes no fiscal impact on the local fund beyond the stated exception, suggesting the measure was viewed as a targeted retiree benefit rather than a contentious policy shift.
Contention
No committee testimony or recorded debate is available, and the voting record shows no opposition. The only likely point of policy distinction is the narrowness of the benefit: it applies solely to East Carroll Parish sheriff and deputy sheriff retirees, and only to those meeting specific age and service thresholds and retiring directly from the office on or after January 1, 2022. Any concern would likely center on the cost of fully funded retiree health and life insurance premiums from the sheriff's general fund, but no formal objection is reflected in the available materials.