RETIREMENT/LOCAL: Provides relative to retirement for all hires in the Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund in the city of New Orleans (OR NO IMPACT APV)

HB 31 amends retirement rules for firefighters in New Orleans' Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund, affecting all current and future members of the system. It establishes different eligibility requirements based on hire date: firefighters hired before 2015 must be age 50 with 12+ years of service, those hired in 2015-2016 must be age 52 with 12+ years, and those hired after 2016 must meet federal retirement age minus 10 years with 12+ years. The bill adjusts retirement benefit calculations to 2.5% of the firefighter's highest five-year average salary (with a 2.75% rate for 2015-2016 hires), capping benefits at 100% of that average. It also specifies that members leaving before retirement age must remain in the system until eligibility is met and outlines survivor benefit provisions.