By Wilson                                             H.B. No. 1521
         77R6376 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to benefits from the Employees Retirement System of Texas
 1-3     for law enforcement officers commissioned by the Texas Lottery
 1-4     Commission.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 811.001(9), Government Code, is amended
 1-7     to read as follows:
 1-8                 (9)  "Law enforcement officer" means a member of the
 1-9     retirement system who:
1-10                       (A)  has been commissioned as a law enforcement
1-11     officer by the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic
1-12     Beverage Commission, the State Board of Pharmacy, the Texas Lottery
1-13     Commission, or the Parks and Wildlife Department; and
1-14                       (B)  [who] is recognized as a commissioned law
1-15     enforcement officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
1-16     Standards and Education.
1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 814.104(b), Government Code, is amended
1-18     to read as follows:
1-19           (b)  A member who is at least 55 years old and who has at
1-20     least 10 years of service credit as a commissioned peace officer
1-21     engaged in criminal law enforcement activities of the Department of
1-22     Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the State
1-23     Board of Pharmacy, the Texas Lottery Commission, or the Parks and
1-24     Wildlife Department, as an employee of the Railroad Commission of
 2-1     Texas who is licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
 2-2     Standards and Education and has served at least five years as an
 2-3     investigator for the oil field theft detection division, or as a
 2-4     custodial officer, is eligible to retire and receive a service
 2-5     retirement annuity.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  Section 815.505, Government Code, is amended to
 2-7     read as follows:
 2-8           Sec. 815.505.  CERTIFICATION OF NAMES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
 2-9     CUSTODIAL OFFICERS. Not later than the 12th day of the month
2-10     following the month in which a person begins or ceases employment
2-11     as a law enforcement officer or custodial officer, the Public
2-12     Safety Commission, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the
2-13     Parks and Wildlife Commission, the State Board of Pharmacy, the
2-14     Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Texas Lottery Commission, or the
2-15     Texas Board of Criminal Justice, as applicable, shall certify to
2-16     the retirement system, in the manner prescribed by the system, the
2-17     name of the employee and such other information as the system
2-18     determines is necessary for the crediting of service and financing
2-19     of benefits under this subtitle.
2-20           SECTION 4.  Before October 1, 2001, the Texas Lottery
2-21     Commission shall certify to the Employees Retirement System of
2-22     Texas, in the manner prescribed by the retirement system, the name
2-23     of each person employed by the Texas Lottery Commission on
2-24     September 1, 2001, as a law enforcement officer as defined by
2-25     Section 811.001, Government Code, as amended by this Act, and such
2-26     other information as the system determines is necessary for the
2-27     crediting of service and financing of benefits under Subtitle B,
 3-1     Title 8, Government Code.
 3-2           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.