May 17, 2024
The 2024 Regular Legislative Session concluded on May 17 with little fanfare, as the legislature capped off the year by Truly Agreeing and Finally Passing 29 bills (excluding budget bills) out of over 2,600 bills filed. The session marks one of the least productive years in recent history.
LAGERS had a single legislative priority during the session in House Bill 2431 and Senate Bill 898, which sought to modernize LAGERS board composition and election practices. The goal of the legislation aimed to:
- Modernize best-practices in system governance.
- Increase the accessibility, transparency, and
participation of the LAGERS membership in the
Board of Trustees election. - Ensure fair and appropriate representation of the
system’s 35,000 active members, 28,000 retirees
and 850 employers.
Notably, the legislation would have added a first ever retiree trustee to the board. Although SB 898 was passed by both the House and Senate, changes made in the House required that the bill return to the Senate for a final vote in the waning days of the session. Following a multi-day filibuster over initiative petition reform, the upper chamber effectively shut down before SB 898 could be Truly Agreed. Although both vehicles fell just short of the finish line during this session, the language received wide bipartisan support in both chambers, and LAGERS plans to refile the legislation in the future.
