BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1535 By: Ellis (Turner, S.) May 19, 1995 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND When the City of Houston Airport Police were merged with the Houston Police Department, no provisions were made regarding the transfer of the officers' prior service credit from the municipal retirement system into the City of Houston Police Officers Pension System. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1535 prohibits allowance of prior credit in a retirement plan for certain police officers. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 27, V.T.C.S., to prohibit prior credit from being allowed for service in another department in the city to any person who transfers from the other department to the police department, except for a police officer who was transferred involuntarily from the other city department to the police department. Requires the pension board to approve and accept the prior service credit on an individual-by-individual basis. Provides that the pension board can only approve the credit if the transferred police officer pays any and all costs to the pension fund incurred by virtue of the allowed prior service credit. Requires the costs of the transferred prior service credit to be determined by the fund's actuary. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION SB 1535 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on May 19, 1995. The bill was reported favorably without amendment with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and sent to the Committee on Local & Consent Calendars by a record vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 4 absent & 0 pnv.