HR 163 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

RETIREMENT/FIREFIGHTERS: Requests the Firefighters' Retirement System to study the feasibility of merging members of the New Orleans Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund hired after a certain date into the system

HR 163 (2025) requests the Firefighters' Retirement System to study whether merging members of the New Orleans Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund (hired after a specific date) into the main system is feasible. The bill directs the legislative auditor's actuary, with input from retirement system actuaries, to analyze the cost and feasibility of this potential merger. It requires the actuary to submit a report to the House with findings from this study. This is a procedural bill focused solely on gathering data for future consideration, not implementing any immediate change to retirement benefits. The study would directly affect newer New Orleans firefighters covered by the separate pension fund.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced May 13, 2025 Last action May 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HR163 Original → HR163 Engrossed · 3 edits · May 19, 2025

MINOR

The bill was amended to simplify the composition of a study committee by removing the system's actuary. The committee will now include the legislative auditor's actuary, the chair of the Firefighters' Retirement System Board, the chair of the Firefighters' Pension and Relief Fund, the mayor of New Orleans, and a city council member. This change narrows the committee's membership to focus on leadership and oversight rather than including a second actuary, while the core goal of studying a potential merger remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the committee's membership was narrowed by removing one specific role (the system's actuary) from the list of required members.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement for the system's actuary to serve on the study committee.

Added the mayor of New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans City Council to the list of required committee members.

Reordered the list of required committee members to clarify the inclusion of the legislative auditor's actuary alongside the chairs of the two pension systems.

Floor votes · House May 22, 2025

How they voted

87–0

Passed · 15 other

Total votes 102

May 22, 2025

D Democratic31

23 Yea 8

74% Yea

R Republican71

64 Yea 7

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read by title, amended, roll called, yeas 90, nays 0. The resolution was adopted.

lower

May 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (10--0).

lower

May 14, 2025

Committee

Read by title, referred to the Committee on Retirement.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors