Provides relative to certain retirees of the office of the district attorney of the 3rd Judicial District (OR +$25,364 LF EX See Note)

HB 89 enacts a new statute, R.S. 16:117, establishing a mandatory health insurance benefit program for retired district attorneys and assistant district attorneys in the Third Judicial District. The legislation requires the district attorney's office to pay one hundred percent of group health insurance premiums for eligible retirees, with the retiree choosing between coverage comparable to the district attorney's general fund payment or a current employee's plan of equivalent value. Upon reaching Medicare eligibility by age or condition, retirees must enroll in Medicare and secure a supplemental plan, with the office continuing to pay premiums for that supplemental coverage or the retiree's existing plan, whichever remains comparable to their present coverage. The statute defines "years of full-time service" as creditable service years in the District Attorneys' Retirement System accumulated as an assistant district attorney or elected district attorney.

The bill affects two primary populations: retired district attorneys and assistant district attorneys of the Third Judicial District who meet the eligibility threshold, and the Third Judicial District's office of the district attorney. Only retirees with at least twenty-four consecutive years of full-time service qualify for these benefits, and the provision applies prospectively, extending benefits only to those retiring on or after the statute's effective date. The district attorney's office incurs the direct financial obligation to pay full health insurance premiums from its general fund, creating an ongoing budgetary commitment for each eligible retiree, whether pre-Medicare or supplemental coverage post-Medicare.

This legislation operates within the existing framework of the District Attorneys' Retirement System, which tracks creditable service years for district attorneys and assistant district attorneys. The statute integrates with federal Medicare requirements by mandating that retirees enroll in Medicare upon eligibility and then transition to supplemental coverage while maintaining the district attorney's office funding obligation. The law represents a local benefit established specifically for the Third Judicial District, distinguishing these retirees from employees in other judicial districts and from the broader public retirement systems that may operate under different parameters. The prospective application ensures no retroactive liability for employees who retired before the statute's enactment.