Senate panel advances bill to rehire retired corrections officers amid staffing crisis

Sen. Price introduced SB416 on April 20, proposing to allow retired corrections officers to return to work in critical positions at the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) without receiving additional retirement benefits.

The bill targets a departmentwide staffing shortage. "DPSC has over 500 vacancies with an overall turnover rate exceeding 50 percent," Sen. Price said. Secretary Gary Westcott told the committee staffing pressures have forced DPSC to lower hiring standards and that rehiring retirees would help fill difficult posts. "We kind of mimicked what the teachers did a couple years ago with their shortage," Westcott said, describing a program that would let retirees return and earn pay while not increasing their retirement benefit.

Supporters argued that experienced former officers could reduce overtime costs and improve retention. Westcott said the department spent more than $50 million this year on overtime and medical costs and that rehiring experienced officers could reduce that burden. During questioning, committee members pressed on the potential long-term effect on the retirement system and whether earnings caps would be changed. Westcott said returnees and the state would continue to pay into the retirement system but that returnees would receive only the contributions they and the state made, not additional benefit increases.

Sen. Boudreaux moved the committee to report the bill favorable. A roll-call vote resulted in six yeas and one nay; the committee recorded the bill as reported favorable.

The committee action sends SB416 to the next stage of consideration in the legislative process; no floor action was recorded in the committee transcript.