Committee advances resolution to study moving New Orleans firefighter hires into statewide system

The House Retirement Committee advanced a resolution May 15, 2025, asking the statewide Firefighters Retirement System to study whether newly hired New Orleans firefighters could be enrolled in the statewide system rather than remain in the stand‑alone New Orleans municipal firefighters system.

Representative Bakula introduced the resolution, saying New Orleans operates a stand‑alone municipal retirement system for firefighters that, he said, is funded at about 14 percent and requires some firefighters to work 40 years before retirement. The resolution asks the statewide system to study whether newly hired firefighters could enroll in the statewide plan and whether a hired‑after date or other terms should apply.

Gregory Koehring, an actuary who represents multiple fire pension systems in Louisiana, told the committee he represents four systems that receive money from the insurance premium tax fund and said serving as a voting member of the study group would create a conflict of interest. Koehring also noted that his contract with the Firefighters Retirement System specifies hourly rates for work outside that contract and raised concern that the resolution disallows compensation to committee participants.

Koehring asked that the system actuary be removed as a voting member; the committee accepted an amendment in concept to strike the systems actuary from the study group membership (page 2, line 8). Kenny Herbold, the legislative auditor's actuary, said he did not have the same conflict because he is a state employee. Representative Kerner moved to report the resolution favorably as amended; with no objection the committee advanced it to the floor.