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Welcome to a new school year! As you settle in for a year of new beginnings, here’s a look at what’s on tap at TRSL for the fall.
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The 2026 Regular Legislative Session produced a new return-to-work (RTW) law that replaces all other RTW laws, simplifies the rules, and offers more reemployment opportunities for TRSL retirees in RTW-covered positions.
With Act 344 - formerly Senate Bill 14 (Sen. Ed Price), more retirees can return to work without their retirement benefits being impacted. For example, a new RTW provision allows retirees age 65 or older to return to work in a RTW-covered position with no impact to their benefit once a 12-month waiting period is fulfilled. In addition, the critical shortage process has been streamlined, earnings limits have been increased, and application to contract employment has been narrowed.
If you’re thinking of retiring soon and returning to work in a RTW-covered position, we have a number of resources to guide you:
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| Additional bills that passed
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Phased retirement program (for postsecondary education only)
Act 781 – formerly House Bill 42 (Rep. Bacala) creates a Phased Retirement Program (PRP) for public postsecondary institutions that allows individuals eligible for retirement under current law to remain in their employed positions at a reduced work level while receiving a reduced retirement benefit. Additionally, the new law addresses the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) by requiring employers to pay the administrative fee for participants, effective July 1, 2027. It also sets up a 1.8% increase in the ORP employer contribution rate for postsecondary education employees in any year in which funds are legislatively appropriated for that increase.
Payments toward the Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL)
Act 606 – formerly House Bill 27 (Rep. McMakin) is a proposed constitutional amendment that modifies an existing constitutional provision that directs how appropriation of 25% of nonrecurring state revenue (when applicable) must be applied to the UALs of the four state retirement systems for public school teachers, school employees, state employees, and state police. It will be on the ballot in the November 3, 2026, statewide election.
Act 961 – formerly House Bill 312 (Rep. McFarland) makes a supplemental appropriation of $1.2 million to the TRSL UAL.
Required minimum distributions
Act 24 – formerly House Bill 25 (Rep. Spell) changes the dates by which a retired member must begin required minimum distributions (RMDs) to reflect new federal law (SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0). It also allows a surviving spouse to use their own age to determine the date by which they must begin RMDs.
TRSL investments
Senate Resolution 141 (Sen. Hodges) requests the boards of the state retirement systems to study and make recommendations regarding the orderly divestment and future avoidance of investments in companies domiciled in China or otherwise subject to the control of the Chinese government, Chinese military, or the Chinese Communist Party. The systems must provide a report on existing levels of such investments to the Senate Retirement Committee by December 1, 2026.
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Find out where you are on the road to retirement with your annual member statement. Updated statements just landed in myTRSL.
Available at the start of every school year, member statements include your service credit totals, your designated beneficiaries, and your earnings information as of the fiscal year ending June 30.
If you have at least five years of service credit and have not entered DROP, you’ll also find projected retirement eligibility dates and an estimated future benefit amount.
Log into your member portal at www.myTRSL.org to map your road to retirement.
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We wanted to let you know about exciting new myTRSL features that enable you to do more online.
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Update beneficiaries
Active members can now update their beneficiaries with an electronic signature rather than submitting a signed form. Just click on “Update” next to “Beneficiaries” on your main profile page.
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Update name and address
If you’ve moved or changed your name, you can quickly make that update in myTRSL. Just click on “Update Personal Information” under your name and address on your main profile page.
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Upload forms and vital records
Most TRSL forms – along with vital records — can now be uploaded through myTRSL, which means the bulk of the retirement process can be done from the comfort of your home computer. Just click on “Upload Document” under the “My Self Service” drop-down menu.
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Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, there will be a slight increase in the actuarial calculation fee needed for most purchases of service credit. The fee for a single calculation will increase from $200 to $250. Each additional calculation will still cost $50.
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Pour a pumpkin latte and settle in for our latest lineup of fall webinars. We’ve brewed up sessions for every point on your career path.
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Here’s a preview:
- ALL MEMBERS: Learn more about myTRSL, your online retirement portal.
(4 p.m., Thursday, October 29)
- EARLY CAREER: For members with 0-10 years of service.
(4 p.m., Thursday, November 19)
- MID CAREER: For members with 10-20 years of service credit.
(4 p.m., Thursday, December 17)
- READY TO RETIRE: Get the 411 on DROP.
(10 a.m., Wednesday, November 25)
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Zoom in with TRSL if you’re retiring soon
If your career odometer reads “Retiring Soon,” make a quick detour to one of our individual retirement counseling sessions.
These informative, 30-minute sessions are reserved for members within two years of retirement or entering DROP. It’s a perfect pit stop to get one-on-one time with a TRSL representative to discuss your retirement via Zoom.
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Are you struggling with whether to participate in DROP? Don’t panic! There’s another way to build a nest egg through TRSL. It’s called Initial Lump-Sum Benefit, or ILSB.
ILSB is for members who didn’t participate in DROP. With ILSB, up to 36 months of your retirement is set aside for you in a lump sum. In exchange, you’ll receive a reduced monthly retirement benefit for life.
You can crack open your ILSB nest egg several ways:
- Monthly or annual withdrawals
- Partial single-sum withdrawal
- Rollover to an IRA or other qualified plan
- Withdrawal of entire balance (subject to 20% federal withholding tax)
Explore ILSB in our new Quick Tips series on YouTube here.
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| Keep scrolling with us on social!
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PO Box 94123 | Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9123 US
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