By: Turner, Sylvester H.B. No. 1280
73R5663 GCH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the contributions and eligibility for retirement
1-3 benefits of certain members of the Texas County and District
1-4 Retirement System.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 844, Government Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 844.1025 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 844.1025. SERVICE RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY IN CERTAIN
1-9 COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to members who are or
1-10 have been employed by a sheriff's department in a participating
1-11 county having a population of at least 2.3 million.
1-12 (b) The term "Section 844.1025 credited service" as used in
1-13 this section means credited service performed for one or more
1-14 participating sheriff's departments in counties that are subject to
1-15 this section.
1-16 (c) Notwithstanding Section 845.402(a), a member who has
1-17 Section 844.1025 credited service may elect to increase the
1-18 member's rate of contributions to the retirement system by one
1-19 percent of the member's current service compensation. A member may
1-20 make an election under this subsection by filing notice of the
1-21 election with the county treasurer. An election under this
1-22 subsection takes effect beginning with the first payroll period
1-23 that begins after the date the election is filed. An increase in
1-24 the rate of a member's contributions under this subsection has no
2-1 effect on the amount or rate of subdivision contributions for the
2-2 member.
2-3 (d) A member is eligible, beginning on the first anniversary
2-4 of the person's membership, to retire and receive a service
2-5 retirement annuity if the member:
2-6 (1) is at least 55 years old and has at least 10 years
2-7 of Section 844.1025 credited service in the retirement system;
2-8 (2) has sufficient years of Section 844.1025 credited
2-9 service in the retirement system that, when that number is added to
2-10 the years of attained age of the member, produces a sum equal to or
2-11 exceeding the number 70; or
2-12 (3) is eligible for service retirement under any other
2-13 provision of this subtitle.
2-14 (e) If a member has at least 10 years of Section 844.1025
2-15 credited service in the retirement system, subsequent absence from
2-16 service does not terminate membership, and unless membership is
2-17 otherwise terminated, the member is eligible to retire and receive
2-18 a service retirement annuity at any time after the member attains
2-19 the age of 55.
2-20 (f) A member may select an optional service retirement
2-21 annuity in the manner and under the conditions provided by Section
2-22 844.105 if the member has at least 10 years of Section 844.1025
2-23 credited service in the retirement system and has attained the age
2-24 of 55.
2-25 (g) If a member who is authorized under this section to
2-26 select an optional service retirement annuity dies before
2-27 retirement without having made a selection, the member's surviving
3-1 spouse or the executor or administrator of the member's estate may
3-2 make the selection provided by Section 844.105 under the terms of
3-3 that section.
3-4 (h) A member who has at least 10 years of Section 844.1025
3-5 credited service in the retirement system but is not eligible for
3-6 service retirement is eligible to retire and receive a disability
3-7 retirement annuity if the member is the subject of a certification
3-8 issued as provided by Section 844.303(b)(2), except that a member
3-9 is not entitled to retire for disability before the first
3-10 anniversary of the effective date of the person's membership.
3-11 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
3-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-17 passage, and it is so enacted.