§5554.1. Bossier Parish; payment of group insurance premiums; retired sheriffs and deputy sheriffs; creation of fund

A. There is hereby created the Bossier Parish Retired Employees Insurance Fund, hereinafter referred to as the "BREIF", to fund the payment by the sheriff's office of Bossier Parish of the premium costs for eligible retired sheriffs and retired deputy sheriffs as provided in R.S. 13:5554(G).

B. The following monies shall be deposited into the BREIF until the total amount of the monies including principal and earnings in the BREIF equals the sum of ten million dollars:

(1) One percent of the monies received in the Bossier Parish sheriff's general fund each year.

(2) Twenty-five percent of the revenues received by the Bossier Parish sheriff from the tax levied by R.S. 27:391(B).

(3) Any other monies that the sheriff of Bossier Parish may contribute to the BREIF.

(4)(a) Once the total amount of the monies including principal and earnings in the BREIF equals the sum of ten million dollars, the deposited monies identified in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be reduced to one-half of one percent, and the monies identified in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection shall be reduced to twelve and one-half percent.

(b) If the monies in the BREIF should fall below ten million dollars, the deposited monies identified in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection shall revert to the original amount of one percent and twenty-five percent respectively.

C. Upon recommendation of the board established in Subsection G of this Section, the sheriff of Bossier Parish shall invest the monies in the BREIF as follows:

(1) Not less than twenty-five percent in equities.

(2) At least twenty-five percent in fixed income investments, provided that a minimum of twenty-five percent of the fixed income portion is rated as investment grade by a nationally recognized rating agency.

D. The earnings realized on the monies invested pursuant to Subsection C of this Section shall be available for the sheriff to withdraw for the sole purpose of paying the insurance premium costs provided in R.S. 13:5554(G) for retired sheriffs and retired deputy sheriffs of Bossier Parish, legal representation costs for the BREIF Board, or both, provided that no such earnings shall be withdrawn until the amount of principal and accumulated earnings in the BREIF is equal to the sum of ten million dollars. In the event that the total amount of monies derived from deposits provided in Subsection B of this Section and investment earnings fall below the sum of ten million dollars, no earnings shall be withdrawn, and any balance owed for the payment of insurance premium costs as required by R.S. 13:5554(G) or legal representation costs for the BREIF Board shall be paid in full from the sheriff's general fund.

E. The monies deposited pursuant to Subsection B of this Section and the accumulated earnings up to a total of ten million dollars shall not be appropriated and shall only be used for making income-producing investments as provided in this Section.

F. Any financial audit conducted of the sheriff's office of Bossier Parish shall specifically address compliance with the provisions of this Section.

G.(1) To provide oversight, control, general management of the affairs of the fund and investments of the monies as provided in Subsection C of this Section, the sheriff shall establish a board of trustees consisting of seven members as follows:

(a) The comptroller of the sheriff's department.

(b) Five retired sheriffs or retired deputy sheriffs of the department , elected by other retired sheriffs and retired deputy sheriffs of the department. If more than five persons qualify for election, the five candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast shall be elected to the board.

(c) One active deputy sheriff of the department elected by the other active deputy sheriffs of the department. If more than one person qualifies for election, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast shall be elected to the board.

(d) The sheriff shall use and provide all means necessary and proper to conduct the initial and subsequent elections. All expenses including the printing and mailing of the ballots for the initial and subsequent elections shall be borne by the sheriff and paid out of the sheriff's general fund.

(e) The members of the board shall elect a chairperson at its first board meeting which shall be held within thirty days after the election of board members. The board shall adopt rules governing the election of the members of the board. The election of board members shall be called and supervised by the board with the assistance of the sheriff.

(f) Should a vacancy occur on the board within sixty days of the date the vacancy occurs, the board shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term who is qualified to serve on the board as provided in Subparagraphs (b) and (c) of this Paragraph. If a board member who is an active deputy sheriff elected pursuant to Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph retires, he may continue to serve for the remainder of the term for which he was elected, if less than two years remain on his term; however, if more than two years remain on his term, the board shall appoint an active deputy sheriff to fill the remainder of that term.

(2) Members of the board shall serve terms concurrent with that of the sheriff.

(3) Any vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner and for the same term as provided in this Subsection.

Acts 2004, No. 822, §1, eff. July 12, 2004; Acts 2005, No. 41, §1, eff. June 16, 2005; Acts 2007, No. 69, §1; Acts 2010, No. 356, §1, eff. June 21, 2010; Redesignated from R.S. 33:1448.1 pursuant to Acts 2011, No. 248, §3; Acts 2012, No. 41, §1, eff. May 11, 2012; Acts 2014, No. 276, §1, eff. May 28, 2014.

NOTE: See Acts 2004, No. 822, §2, relative to the application of R.S. 13:5554(G) in certain parishes.