By Lucio                                               S.B. No. 383
         77R4021 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 attorney general.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 811.001(9), Government Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7                 (9)  "Law enforcement officer" means a member of the
 1-8     retirement system who:
 1-9                       (A)  has been commissioned as a law enforcement
1-10     officer by the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic
1-11     Beverage Commission, the State Board of Pharmacy, the attorney
1-12     general, or the Parks and Wildlife Department; and
1-13                       (B)  [who] is recognized as a commissioned law
1-14     enforcement officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
1-15     Standards and Education.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 814.104(b), Government Code, is amended
1-17     to read as follows:
1-18           (b)  A member who is at least 55 years old and who has at
1-19     least 10 years of service credit as a commissioned peace officer
1-20     engaged in criminal law enforcement activities of the Department of
1-21     Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the State
1-22     Board of Pharmacy, the attorney general, or the Parks and Wildlife
1-23     Department, as an employee of the Railroad Commission of Texas who
1-24     is licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards
 2-1     and Education and has served at least five years as an investigator
 2-2     for the oil field theft detection division, or as a custodial
 2-3     officer, is eligible to retire and receive a service retirement
 2-4     annuity.
 2-5           SECTION 3.  Section 815.505, Government Code, is amended to
 2-6     read as follows:
 2-7           Sec. 815.505.  CERTIFICATION OF NAMES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
 2-8     CUSTODIAL OFFICERS. Not later than the 12th day of the month
 2-9     following the month in which a person begins or ceases employment
2-10     as a law enforcement officer or custodial officer, the Public
2-11     Safety Commission, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the
2-12     Parks and Wildlife Commission, the State Board of Pharmacy, the
2-13     Board of Pardons and Paroles, the attorney general, or the Texas
2-14     Board of Criminal Justice, as applicable, shall certify to the
2-15     retirement system, in the manner prescribed by the system, the name
2-16     of the employee and such other information as the system determines
2-17     is necessary for the crediting of service and financing of benefits
2-18     under this subtitle.
2-19           SECTION 4.  Before October 1, 2001, the attorney general
2-20     shall certify to the Employees Retirement System of Texas, in the
2-21     manner prescribed by the retirement system, the name of each person
2-22     employed by the attorney general on September 1, 2001, as a law
2-23     enforcement officer as defined by Section 811.001, Government Code,
2-24     as amended by this Act, and such other information as the system
2-25     determines is necessary for the crediting of service and financing
2-26     of benefits under Subtitle B, Title 8, Government Code.
2-27           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.