Honorable Vicki Truitt, Chair, House Committee on Pensions & Investments
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1019 by Alonzo (Relating to retirement eligibility and benefits for certain employees of the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code by expanding the funding and service retirement benefits to include parole support employees. The bill defines a parole support employee as a member of the retirement system employed by the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and is not a custodial officer, but is certified by TDCJ as having duties which are hazardous and required to have routine contact on a regular basis with inmates or defendants confined by TDCJ. The bill definition of parole support employee includes a receptionist, clerical or administrative support employee and would require TDCJ to adopt standards for determining eligibility for service credit as a parole support employee. The bill also requires that the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) shall conduct audits to verify the accuracy of the retirement eligibility and benefits reports submitted by TDCJ.
TDCJ estimates the costs associated with implementing the bill are not anticipated to be significant and could be absorbed with current resources.
According to the SAO, the additional duties and responsibilities involved with conducting the audits submitted by TDCJ would total approximately 500 hours per year. The SAO estimated costs associated with implementing the bill are $96,000 during the biennium ($48,000 each fiscal year using the billing rate of $96 per hour) and considered not significant and would be absorbed in the existing budget.
According to the Employees Retirement System of Texas, costs associated with the additional service retirement benefits for the parole support employees are estimated to be $290,602 during the biennium ($142,452 for fiscal year 2008 and $148,150 for fiscal year 2009).
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
308 State Auditor's Office, 327 Employees Retirement System, 696 Department of Criminal Justice