HBA-SEB H.B. 3167 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3167
By: Keel
Pensions and Investments
4/6/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently,  certain state law enforcement officers and correctional
employees are eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits through the
law enforcement and custodial officer supplemental retirement fund within
the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS).  Parole officers are not
eligible for these benefits, although they face physical danger and stress
in supervising convicted felons.  H.B. 3167 includes parole officers in the
category of custodial officers for the purposes of performing service for
ERS and makes parole officers eligible for supplemental retirement benefits
from ERS.    

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 811.001, Government Code, by amending
Subdivision (8) and adding Subdivision (18), as follows: 

(8)  Includes in the definition of "custodial officer" a member of the
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) who is employed by the Board of
Pardons and Paroles or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) as a
parole officer or caseworker. 

(18)  Provides that "parole officer" has the meaning assigned by Section
508.001 (a person appointed by the director of the pardons and paroles
division who is assigned the duties of assessment of risks and needs,
investigation, case management, and supervision of releasees to ensure that
they are complying with the conditions of parole or mandatory supervision). 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 813.506(b) and (c), Government Code, to provide
that in order to be creditable as custodial officer service, service must
be performed as a parole officer or caseworker or must meet specific
requirements and be, rather than may be, performed by a person in a
specific correctional category.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 815.505, Government Code, to make a conforming
change. 

SECTION 4.  Requires the Board of Pardons and Paroles and TDCJ to certify
to ERS, in the manner prescribed by ERS and before October 1, 1999, the
name of each person employed by the board on September 1, 1999, as a
custodial officer as defined by Section 811.001, Government Code, as
amended by this Act, and such other information as ERS determines is
necessary for the crediting of service and financing of benefits under
Subtitle B, Title 8, Government Code.  

SECTION 5.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 6.  Emergency clause.