H.R. No. 2947

R E S O L U T I O N

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, That House Rule 13, Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13, Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on House Bill 3347 (plan qualification provisions for and certain supplemental payments and health insurance deductions under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas) to consider and take action on the following matter:

House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the committee to add the following new SECTION 5 to the bill:

SECTION 5. (a) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall make a one-time supplemental payment of a retirement or death benefit as provided by this section.

(b) The supplemental payment is payable to each eligible annuitant not later than January 2010 and, to the extent practicable, on a date or dates that coincide with the regular annuity payment payable to each eligible annuitant.

(c) The amount of the supplemental payment is equal to the lesser of:

(1) the gross amount of the regular annuity payment to which the eligible annuitant is otherwise entitled for the month of December 2009; or

(2) $500.

(d) The supplemental payment is payable without regard to any forfeiture of benefits under Section 824.601, Government Code. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall make applicable tax withholding and other legally required deductions before disbursing the supplemental payment. A supplemental payment under this section is in addition to and not in lieu of the regular monthly annuity payment to which the eligible annuitant is otherwise entitled.

(e) Subject to Subsection (f) of this section, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, a person must be, for the month of December 2009, and disregarding any forfeiture of benefits under Section 824.601, Government Code, an annuitant eligible to receive:

(1) a standard retirement annuity payment;

(2) an optional retirement annuity payment as either a retiree or beneficiary;

(3) a life annuity payment under Section 824.402(a)(4), Government Code;

(4) an annuity for a guaranteed period of 60 months under Section 824.402(a)(3), Government Code; or

(5) an alternate payee annuity payment under Section 804.005, Government Code.

(f) If the annuitant is a retiree or if the annuitant is a beneficiary of a retiree who selected an optional retirement payment plan, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, the effective date of the retirement of the member of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas must have been on or before December 31, 2008. If the annuitant is a beneficiary under Section 824.402(a)(3) or (4), Government Code, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, the date of death of the member of the retirement system must have been on or before December 31, 2008. The supplemental payment shall be made to an alternate payee who is an annuitant under Section 804.005, Government Code, only if the annuity payment to the alternate payee commenced on or before December 31, 2008. The supplemental payment is in addition to the guaranteed number of payments under Section 824.402(a)(3), Government Code, Section 824.204(c)(3) or (4), Government Code, or Section 824.308(c)(3) or (4), Government Code, and may not be counted as one of the guaranteed monthly payments.

(g) The supplemental payment does not apply to payments under:

(1) Section 824.304(a), Government Code, relating to disability retirees with less than 10 years of service credit;

(2) Section 824.804(b), Government Code, relating to participants in the deferred retirement option plan with regard to payments from their deferred retirement option plan accounts;

(3) Section 824.501(a), Government Code, relating to retiree survivor beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity in an amount fixed by statute; or

(4) Section 824.404(a), Government Code, relating to active member survivor beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity in an amount fixed by statute.

(h) Except as provided by this section, the board of trustees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine the eligibility for and the amount and timing of a supplemental payment and the manner in which the payment is made.

(i) The supplemental payment is contingent on sufficient funds being appropriated from general revenue to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for this purpose and may not be paid from trust funds.

Explanation: This addition is necessary to provide a supplemental payment to eligible retirees and beneficiaries who receive payments from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Truitt

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 2947 was adopted by the House on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House