Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 11 > Subtitle II > Chapter 2 > Part IV - Benefits

• Actuarial equivalent: means a benefit of equivalent value to the accumulated contributions, annuity, or benefits, as the case may be, computed on the basis of interest and mortality assumptions adopted in accordance with the provisions of La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Annuity: means payments for life derived from the "accumulated contributions" of a member. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• average compensation: means his average earnable compensation for the five highest successive years of employment, or the highest five successive joined years where interruption of service occurred. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Beneficiary: means the eligible recipient of a pension, annuity, retirement allowance, or other benefit provided in this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Board of trustees: means the board provided for in Part V of this Chapter to administer the retirement system. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Creditable service: means "Prior Service" plus "Membership Service" for which credit is allowable as provided in Part III of this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Earnable compensation: means the compensation earned by a member during the full normal working time as a teacher. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Eligible rollover distribution: means a distribution as defined in La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Employer: means the state of Louisiana, any city, parish, or other local school board, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, any board created by La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiscal year: means the period beginning July first of any year and ending June thirtieth of the next succeeding year. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Internal Revenue Code: means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Maximum benefit: means the retirement benefit a member is entitled to receive from the system set forth in Part IV of this Chapter in any month after giving effect to La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Medical board: shall mean the State Medical Disability Board. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Member: means any teacher included in the membership of the system as provided in Part II of this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Minor child: means an unmarried child under the age of twenty-one years or an unmarried student under the age of twenty-three years who is the issue of a marriage of a member of this system, the legally adopted child of a member of this system, a child born outside of marriage of a female member of this system, or the child of a male member of this system if a court of competent jurisdiction has, pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Code rendered a judgment of filiation declaring the paternity of such member for the child. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Natural person: means a human being. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plan year: means the fiscal year. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Prior service: means service rendered prior to the date of establishment of the retirement system for which credit is allowable under Part III of this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Retirement: means withdrawal from active service with a retirement allowance granted under the provisions of this Chapter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Retirement allowance: means the sum of the annuity and the pensions or any optional benefit payable in lieu thereof. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Retirement system: means the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana as defined in La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Service: means service as a teacher within the meaning of Paragraph (33) of this Section. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Spouse: shall mean a person who is legally married to a member of this system and shall not include a person who is legally separated from a member of this system by a judgment of separation, unless such person has voluntarily reconciled with the member and which reconciliation is established by a court of competent jurisdiction. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Student: means a person who satisfies all of the provisions of this Paragraph. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 11:701
• Testate: To die leaving a will.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Usury: Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan. ^{Source: OCC}
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.