SRC-ARR S.B. 761 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 761
76R7974 GCH-DBy: Duncan
State Affairs
3/16/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law requires six percent of a judge's salary to be taken
out of the judge's paycheck to go towards the judge's retirement. When a
judge retires and vests under the Judicial Retirement System, the judge is
entitled to 60 percent of his or her salary from the state for life. A
judge who has been on the bench for 20 years will not accrue any additional
benefits or the six percent that the judge is contributing from pay beyond
20 years of service. S.B. 761 provides that a judge does not have to
contribute six percent to the state once the judge attains 20 years of
service on the bench.  
PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 761 regulates a members contributions to the Judicial
Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial Retirement System of
Texas Plan Two. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 835.101, Government Code, by amending Subsection
(a) and adding Subsection (c),  to require each month the payroll officer
responsible for paying the state compensation of a judicial officer who is
a member of the Judicial Retirement System (retirement system) to deduct
from the state compensation of the judicial officer a contribution computed
at the rate required  of a member of the employee class of the Employee
Retirement System of Texas, except as provided by Subsection (c). Provides
that a member who accrues 20 years of service credit in the retirement
system ceases making contributions under this section. Makes a conforming
change. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 840.102, Government Code, by amending Subsection
(a) and adding Subsection (g), to require each payroll period, a judicial
officer who is a member of the retirement system is required to contribute
six percent of the officer's state compensation for the period to the
retirement system, except as provided by Subsection (g).  Provides that a
member who accrues 20 years of service credit in the retirement system
ceases making contributions under this section. Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.