By Armbrister                                    S.B. No. 772

      75R5777 GCH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to eligibility for retirement from the Judicial Retirement

 1-3     System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial Retirement System of Texas

 1-4     Plan Two.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 834.101(a), Government Code, is amended

 1-7     to read as follows:

 1-8           (a)  A member is eligible to retire and receive a base

 1-9     service retirement annuity if the member:

1-10                 (1)  is at least 65 years old, currently holds a

1-11     judicial office, and has at least 10 years of service credited in

1-12     the retirement system[, the most recently performed of which was

1-13     for a continuous period of at least one year];

1-14                 (2)  is at least 65 years old and has at least 12 years

1-15     of service[, continuous or otherwise,] credited in the retirement

1-16     system, regardless of whether the member currently holds a judicial

1-17     office; or

1-18                 (3)  has at least 20 years of service credited in the

1-19     retirement system, [the most recently performed of which was for a

1-20     continuous period of at least 10 years,] regardless of whether the

1-21     member currently holds a judicial office.

1-22           SECTION 2.  Section 839.101(a), Government Code, is amended

1-23     to read as follows:

1-24           (a)  A member is eligible to retire and receive a service

 2-1     retirement annuity if the member:

 2-2                 (1)  is at least 65 years old, currently holds a

 2-3     judicial office, and has at least 10 years of service credited in

 2-4     the retirement system[, the most recently performed of which was

 2-5     for a continuous period of at least one year];

 2-6                 (2)  is at least 65 years old and has at least 12 years

 2-7     of service[, continuous or otherwise,] credited in the retirement

 2-8     system, regardless of whether the member currently holds a judicial

 2-9     office;  or

2-10                 (3)  has at least 20 years of service credited in the

2-11     retirement system, [the most recently performed of which was for a

2-12     continuous period of at least 10 years,] regardless of whether the

2-13     member currently holds a judicial office.

2-14           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-15           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.