BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 917

By: Hernandez

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, retirees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) may vote for the three elected positions on the ERS board of trustees but are themselves not eligible to stand for election. It has been noted that other large public retirement systems, as well as the statewide Texas County and District Retirement System, permit retirees to stand for election to their respective boards. There have been calls to extend to ERS retirees the option to stand for election to the ERS board to ensure that an important stakeholder group is not excluded from policymaking decisions that may directly affect retirees' futures. H.B. 917 seeks to provide this option.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 917 amends the Government Code to give the members and retirees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) the option to nominate and elect a retiree as one of the three elected ERS board members.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.