HBA-JRA S.B. 838 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 838 By: Wentworth Pensions and Investments 5/21/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, some Texas judges may reach the required years of service to retire a few months into a calender year following the expiration of a current term in office. To qualify for retirement, such a judge may run for an additional term and, if reelected, serve only until the annuity is assured and then resign. S.B. 838 eliminates the need to run for an additional term to qualify for retirement by authorizing a judge to purchase service credit in the judge's judicial retirement system for the remaining months of a calendar year during which the judge served only part of the year. 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 Subchapter B, Chapter 838, Government Code, by adding Section 838.106, as follows: Sec. 838.106. CREDIT FOR YEAR IN WHICH ELIGIBLE FOR OFFICE. Authorizes a contributing member to establish service credit in the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two for any calendar year during which the member held an office included in the membership of the system. Authorizes a member to establish credit by depositing with the system a contribution for each month of credit claimed computed at a rate of six percent of the member's current monthly compensation, plus interest computed on the basis of the state fiscal year at an annual rate of 10 percent from the date of first eligibility to the date of deposit if the member does not establish credit before the first year of eligibility. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.