SRC-BWC S.B. 1569 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1569
By: West, Royce
Jurisprudence
4/4/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, many judges are appointed to office in the middle of a year, and
are often a few months short of the time (credit) that is needed in order
to vest in the judicial retirement system.  Also a judges may be required
to continue making contributions into the retirement system regardless of
the length of time the person has been an active judge.  As proposed, S.B.
1569 allows a judge to purchase the time needed so that if the judge must
leave the bench or at the end of the judge's final term, the judge is not
short of retirement vesting.  S.B. 1569 also provides that a judge who has
accrued 20 years of service credit in the retirement system is no longer
required to make contributions.     

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 833B, Government Code, by adding Section
833.106, as follows: 

Sec. 833.106.  CREDIT FOR YEAR IN WHICH ELIGIBLE FOR OFFICE.  Authorizes a
member who has not retired to establish service credit in the retirement
system for any calendar year during which the member held an office
included in the membership of the retirement system, or was eligible to
take the oath for an office included in the membership of the retirement
system.  Authorizes a member to establish credit under this section by
depositing with the retirement system a contribution computed for each
month of credit claimed at the rate of six percent of the member's current
monthly salary, plus, if the member does not establish credit before the
first anniversary of the date of first eligibility, 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. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 835.101, Government Code, to provide that a
member who accrues 20 years of service credit in the retirement system
ceases making contributions under this section. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 834.102, Government Code, to require the
retirement system to increase by 10 percent of the amount of the applicable
state salary under Subsection (a) or (d) the annuity of a member who on the
effective date of retirement has served as a visiting judge in this state
and the first anniversary of the last day of that service has not occurred. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Chapter 838B, 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 retirement system
for any calendar year during which the member held an office included in
the membership of the retirement system, or was eligible to take the oath
for an office included in the membership of the retirement system. Makes a
conforming change. 
 
SECTION 5.  Amends Section 839.102, Government Code, to provide that the
standard service retirement annuity, except as provided by this section, is
an amount equal to 50 percent of the state salary, as adjusted from time to
time, being paid to a judge of a court of the same classification as the
last court to which the retiring member was elected or appointed.  Requires
the retirement system to increase by 10 percent of the amount of the
applicable state salary under this section the annuity of a member who on
the effective date of retirement has served as a visiting judge in this
state and the first anniversary of the last day of that service has not
occurred.  Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.