Senate panel advances bill letting retired corrections officers return as vacancies top 500

On April 7, the Louisiana Senate Committee on Retirement advanced Senate Bill 416, a measure backed by the administration to allow the reemployment of retirees to fill critical vacancies at the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

"We have over 500 vacancies at the Department of Corrections within the, prison, facilities," Secretary Gary Westcott told the committee, adding that "our, turnover rate is over 50%. For cadets, it's around a 150%." Westcott said vacancies have forced hiring of minimally screened applicants and that bringing back experienced retirees could improve security and retention.

Westcott said the proposal is modeled on a teachers' rehire approach and would require employers to contribute at the "9% into LASERS." He said returning retirees "would not work on a secondary, benefit," framing the bill as a pragmatic response to urgent staffing shortages.

Committee members adopted amendment 16-68, which adds a suitability standard: after the language listing applicant qualifications, "the secretary shall determine candidate suitability based on operational need and institutional requirement." The amendment was presented by staff and moved without question.

Support cards on file included endorsements from the Louisiana State Troopers Association and a LASERS representative; the secretary and administration counsel were also listed on white cards in support of the bill.

Senator Bartholomew moved to advance the bill as amended; with no objections the committee voted to move SB416 forward for further consideration.

The committee record shows the bill was advanced as amended; formal vote tallies were not recorded in the transcript. The next procedural step is consideration by the full Senate or the next committee assigned by the rules of the Senate.