1-1 By: Naishtat, Greenberg H.B. No. 3134
1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)
1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 14, 1997;
1-4 April 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-5 Intergovernmental Relations; May 8, 1997, reported favorably by the
1-6 following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 8, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to contributions to retirement systems for firefighters in
1-10 certain municipalities.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Section 10.01, Chapter 183, Acts of the 64th
1-13 Legislature, Regular Session, 1975 (Article 6243e.1, Vernon's Texas
1-14 Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-15 Sec. 10.01. MUNICIPAL AND MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) [Each
1-16 month before October 1, 1994, each municipality in which a fire
1-17 department to which this Act applies is located shall appropriate
1-18 and contribute to the fund an amount equal to 14 percent, or a
1-19 higher percentage that the municipality authorizes, of the
1-20 compensation of all members during that month.]
1-21 [(b) Each calendar month after September 30, 1994, and
1-22 before October 1, 1995, each municipality in which a fire
1-23 department to which this Act applies is located shall appropriate
1-24 and contribute to the fund an amount equal to 16.05 percent of the
1-25 compensation of all members during that month.]
1-26 [(c)] Each [month after September 30, 1995, each]
1-27 municipality in which a fire department to which this Act applies
1-28 is located shall appropriate and contribute to the fund an amount
1-29 equal to 18.05 percent of the compensation of all members during
1-30 that month.
1-31 (b) [(d)] Each firefighter shall pay into the fund each
1-32 month 13.70 percent of the firefighter's compensation for that
1-33 month.
1-34 (c) The governing body of each municipality may authorize
1-35 the municipality to contribute a portion of the contribution
1-36 required of each firefighter under this section. In that event:
1-37 (1) the municipality shall appropriate and contribute
1-38 to the fund each month at the higher percentage of compensation
1-39 necessary to make all contributions required and authorized to be
1-40 made by the municipality under this section; and
1-41 (2) each firefighter's individual account with the
1-42 fund shall be credited each month as if the firefighter had made
1-43 the entire contribution required of that firefighter under Section
1-44 10.01(b).
1-45 (d) [(e)] The governing body of each municipality may
1-46 authorize the municipality to make an additional contribution to
1-47 the fund in whatever amount the governing body may determine. The
1-48 members of the fund, by a majority vote in favor of an increase in
1-49 contributions above 13.70 percent, may increase each firefighter's
1-50 contribution above 13.70 percent to any percentage recommended by a
1-51 majority vote of the board of trustees.
1-52 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect October 1, 1997.
1-53 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-54 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-55 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-56 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-57 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-58 * * * * *