1-1 By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1260
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1997; March 17, 1997, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
1-4 Relations; April 24, 1997, reported favorably by the following
1-5 vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 24, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to contributions to retirement systems for firefighters in
1-9 certain municipalities.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 10.01, Chapter 183, Acts of the 64th
1-12 Legislature, 1975 (Article 6243e.1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes),
1-13 is amended to read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 10.01. MUNICIPAL AND MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) Each
1-15 [month before October 1, 1994, each municipality in which a fire
1-16 department to which this Act applies is located shall appropriate
1-17 and contribute to the fund an amount equal to 14 percent, or a
1-18 higher percentage that the municipality authorizes, of the
1-19 compensation of all members during that month.]
1-20 [(b) Each calendar month after September 30, 1994, and
1-21 before October 1, 1995, each municipality in which a fire
1-22 department to which this Act applies is located shall appropriate
1-23 and contribute to the fund an amount equal to 16.05 percent of the
1-24 compensation of all members during that month.]
1-25 [(c) Each month after September 30, 1995, each] municipality
1-26 in which a fire department to which this Act applies is located
1-27 shall appropriate and contribute to the fund an amount equal to
1-28 18.05 percent of the compensation of all members during that month.
1-29 (b) [(d)] Each firefighter shall pay into the fund each
1-30 month 13.70 percent of the firefighter's compensation for that
1-31 month.
1-32 (c) The governing body of each municipality may authorize
1-33 the municipality to contribute a portion of the contribution
1-34 required of each firefighter under this section. In that event:
1-35 (1) the municipality shall appropriate and contribute
1-36 to the fund each month at the higher percentage of compensation
1-37 necessary to make all contributions required and authorized to be
1-38 made by the municipality under this section; and
1-39 (2) each firefighter's individual account with the
1-40 fund shall be credited each month as if the firefighter had made
1-41 the entire contribution required of that firefighter under
1-42 Subsection (b) of this section.
1-43 (d) [(e)] The governing body of each municipality may
1-44 authorize the municipality to make an additional contribution to
1-45 the fund in whatever amount the governing body may determine. The
1-46 members of the fund, by a majority vote in favor of an increase in
1-47 contributions above 13.70 percent, may increase each firefighter's
1-48 contribution above 13.70 percent to any percentage recommended by a
1-49 majority vote of the board of trustees.
1-50 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect October 1, 1997.
1-51 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-52 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-53 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-54 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-55 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-56 * * * * *