Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:1323.1

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Minor Child: means a child of a member of this system who is under the age of eighteen years or who is a student who is under the age of twenty-three years. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:1301
  • Student: means a person in a high school, a vocational-technical school, or a college or university, in a sufficient number of courses and classes in an accredited institution to be classified as a full-time regular student under the criteria used by the institution in which he is enrolled. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:1301
  • System: means the Louisiana State Police Retirement System. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:1301

A.  This Section shall apply to any employee whose first employment making him eligible for membership in any state retirement system began on or after January 1, 2011.  The surviving spouse of a deceased former employee shall receive a pension in an amount equal to fifty percent of the monthly retirement pay that would have been payable to the decedent, provided all of the following conditions exist:

(1)  The decedent had terminated employment covered by this system prior to attaining the requisite age for retirement eligibility.

(2)  The decedent has credit for at least twelve years of service in this system and has contributions credited to his account.

(3)  The surviving spouse was married to the decedent for at least two years prior to the decedent’s death.

B.  The surviving spouse of a deceased retired employee shall receive a pension in an amount equal to seventy-five percent of the monthly retirement pay that was being paid to the decedent on the date of death, provided the surviving spouse was married to the decedent for at least two years prior to the decedent’s death.

C.(1)(a)  If there is no surviving spouse eligible to receive benefits pursuant to Subsection A or B of this Section, or if the spouse has remarried and forfeited his benefit under La. Rev. Stat. 11:1321, the minor children of the decedent shall be entitled to benefits equal to fifty percent of the monthly retirement pay that would have been payable to the decedent, or was being paid to the decedent on the date of death.

(b)  As each minor child attains age eighteen, or age twenty-three if a student, he shall receive no further benefits payable pursuant to this Subsection.

(2)  If there is no surviving spouse eligible to receive benefits pursuant to Subsection A or B of this Section and there are no eligible minor children, then the parents of the decedent shall be entitled to benefits as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 11:1319.

D.  Remarriage of the surviving spouse acts as a forfeiture of any rights to receive any further benefits pursuant to this Section.

Acts 2010, No. 992, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.