By Thompson                                           H.B. No. 1273
       74R4412 GCH-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to member contributions to and benefits of retirement
    1-3  systems for firefighters in certain municipalities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 4(c), Chapter 432, Acts of the 64th
    1-6  Legislature, 1975 (Article 6243e.2, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes),
    1-7  is amended by adding Subdivision (5) to read as follows:
    1-8              (5)  A member retiring with an effective retirement
    1-9  date on or after September 1, 1995, who has completed 20 years of
   1-10  service and participation in the fund may be retired from the
   1-11  department and receive a monthly pension allowance of 50 percent of
   1-12  the member's average monthly salary for the highest 36 months of
   1-13  the member's participation.  If the member participates in the fund
   1-14  for more than 20 years, the member is entitled, in addition to the
   1-15  monthly pension of 50 percent, to be paid on retirement an
   1-16  additional monthly pension allowance equal to three percent of the
   1-17  member's average monthly salary for the highest 36 months of the
   1-18  member's participation for each year of service in excess of 20
   1-19  years until the member completes 30 years of service, for a total
   1-20  monthly pension not to exceed 80 percent of the member's average
   1-21  monthly salary for the highest 36 months of the member's
   1-22  participation.  A member who remains in active service for more
   1-23  than 30 years is entitled to receive a monthly pension of 80
   1-24  percent of the member's average monthly salary for the highest 36
    2-1  months of the member's participation.
    2-2        SECTION 2.  Section 10(a), Chapter 432, Acts of the 64th
    2-3  Legislature, 1975 (Article 6243e.2, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes),
    2-4  is amended to read as follows:
    2-5        (a)  The governing body of the city shall deduct monthly a
    2-6  sum equal to nine percent from the salary or compensation of each
    2-7  member participating in the fund.  From and after September 1, 1995
    2-8  <1981>, the city shall deduct from the salary or compensation of
    2-9  each member participating in the fund a sum equal to 9.1 <7 1/2>
   2-10  percent of such salary or compensation.
   2-11        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-12        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-13  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-14  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-15  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-16  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.