AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the compensation of retired state employees who return

 1-2     to work for, or contract with, the state.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 659, Government Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 659.0115 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 659.0115.  SALARIES OF RETIRED AGENCY EMPLOYEES WHO

 1-7     RESUME EMPLOYMENT.  (a)  A state agency that reemploys a retired

 1-8     agency employee to perform services substantially similar to the

 1-9     services the retiree performed for the agency during the last 12

1-10     months of service before retirement may not pay the retiree a

1-11     salary at an annualized rate that exceeds the lesser of:

1-12                 (1)  the rate of compensation the retiree received from

1-13     the state during the last 12 months of service before retirement;

1-14     or

1-15                 (2)  $60,000.

1-16           (b)  The salary limitation provided by Subsection (a)  does

1-17     not apply to a retiree's first six months of reemployment after

1-18     retirement, except that if a retiree is reemployed for more than

1-19     six months after retirement, the limitation applies to the entire

1-20     period of reemployment.

1-21           (c)  In this section:

1-22                 (1)  "Retired agency employee" means a person:

1-23                       (A)  whose last state service before retirement

 2-1     was for the state agency by which the retiree is reemployed; and

 2-2                       (B)  who is a retiree of:

 2-3                             (i)  the employee class of membership of

 2-4     the Employees Retirement System of Texas; or

 2-5                             (ii)  the Teacher Retirement System of

 2-6     Texas, the majority of whose service was credited in that system in

 2-7     a position with a state agency.

 2-8                 (2)  "State agency" includes a "public senior college

 2-9     or university," as that term is defined by Section 61.003,

2-10     Education Code.

2-11           SECTION 2.  Chapter 2252, Government Code, is amended by

2-12     adding Subchapter Z to read as follows:

2-13                   SUBCHAPTER Z.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

2-14           Sec. 2252.901.  CONTRACTS WITH RETIRED AGENCY EMPLOYEES.

2-15     (a)  A state agency that contracts with a retired agency employee

2-16     to perform services substantially similar to the services the

2-17     retiree performed for the agency during the last 12 months of

2-18     service before retirement may not make payments under the contract

2-19     at an annualized rate that exceeds the lesser of:

2-20                 (1)  the rate of compensation the retiree received from

2-21     the state during the last 12 months of service before retirement;

2-22     or

2-23                 (2)  $60,000.

2-24           (b)  The contract payment limitation provided by Subsection

2-25     (a)  does not apply during the first six months a retiree performs

 3-1     services under a contract after retirement, except that if a

 3-2     retiree performs services under the contract for more than six

 3-3     months, the limitation applies to the entire term of the contract.

 3-4           (c)  In this section:

 3-5                 (1)  "Retired agency employee" means a person:

 3-6                       (A)  whose last state service before retirement

 3-7     was for the state agency with which the retiree contracts to

 3-8     perform services; and

 3-9                       (B)  who is a retiree of:

3-10                             (i)  the employee class of membership of

3-11     the Employees Retirement System of Texas; or

3-12                             (ii)  the Teacher Retirement System of

3-13     Texas, the majority of whose service was credited in that system in

3-14     a position with a state agency.

3-15                 (2)  "State agency" includes a "public senior college

3-16     or university," as that term is defined by Section 61.003,

3-17     Education Code.

3-18           SECTION 3.  (a)  Section 659.0115, Government Code, as added

3-19     by this Act, applies only to state service performed by a person

3-20     who becomes a retiree on or after the effective date of this Act.

3-21           (b)  Section 2252.901, Government Code, as added by this Act,

3-22     applies only to a contract entered into by a person who becomes a

3-23     retiree on or after the effective date of this Act.

3-24           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1998.

3-25           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 4-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 4-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 4-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 4-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 631 passed the Senate on

         April 18, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 631 passed the House on

         May 26, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor