By: Watson S.B. No. 1536

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to retirement under public retirement systems for employees of certain municipalities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1. SCOPE. (a) A retirement system is established by this Act for employees of each municipality having a population of more than 760,000 [600,000] and less than 860,000 [700,000]. [; provided, however, that once such once such pension system becomes operative in any city, any]

(b) Any right or privilege accruing to any member of a retirement system established by this Act is [thereunder shall be] a vested right according to the terms of this Act. [and the same shall not be denied or abridged thereafter through any change in population of any such city taking such city out of the population bracket as herein prescribed, and said pension system shall continue to operate and function regardless of whether or not any future population exceeds or falls below said population bracket]

(c) This Act continues to apply to a municipality described by Subsection (a) and a retirement system established by this Act continues to operate regardless of any change in the municipality's population.

SECTION 2. Section 2, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subdivisions (5), (8), (12), (15), (27), (30), (32), (33), (34), and (35), and adding Subdivisions (18A), (18B), (23A), and (23B) to read as follows:

Sec. 2. DEFINITIONS. The following words and phrases have the meanings assigned by this section unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

(5) "Agency of the municipality" means any agency or instrumentality of the municipality or governmental or publicly owned legal entity created by the municipality, before or after [subsequent to] the effective date of this Act, to perform or provide a public service or function and that employs at least one employee to provide services or accomplish its public purpose.

(8) "Average final compensation" means the average monthly compensation, as defined and limited by Subdivision (12) of this section, less overtime, incentive, and terminal pay, plus, (i) amounts picked up by the employer pursuant to Section 10(e) of this Act, and (ii) amounts that would be included in wages but for an election under Sections 125(d), 132(f)(4), 402(e)(3), 402(h)(l)(B), 402(k), or 457(b) of the code, [not otherwise included in the member's taxable income by reason of either an election under a "cafeteria" plan as described in Section 125 of the code or deferrals under a plan of deferred compensation within the scope of Section 457 of the code, to the extent not in excess of $12,500 for persons who first become members after 1995 that is earned by a member] during, as applicable:

(A) if the member has 120 months or more of membership service, the 36 months of membership service which yielded the highest average during the last 120 months of membership service;

(B) if the member has less than 120 months of membership service, but has at least 36 months of membership service, then the average during the 36 months which yield the highest average; or

(C) if the member does not have 36 months of membership service, then the average during the member's months of membership service.

The term does not include annual compensation in excess of the dollar limit under Section 401 (a)(17) of the code for any employee who first becomes a member in a year commencing after 1995 and that compensation shall be disregarded in determining average final compensation. Any reduction for overtime, incentive and terminal pay shall not cause a member's compensation to be less than the limit under Section 401(a)(17) of the code to the extent that the compensation has already been reduced in accordance with Subdivision (12). The dollar limitation shall be adjusted for cost of living increases as provided under Section 401(a)(17) of the code.

(12) "Compensation" means, with respect to any member, such member's wages, within the meaning of Section 3401(a) of the code (for purposes of income tax withholding at the source) but determined without regard to any rules that limit the remuneration included in wages based on the nature or location of the employment or the services performed (such as the exception for agricultural labor in Section 3401(a)(2) of the code). Compensation in excess of the dollar limit under Section 401(a)(17) of the code shall be disregarded in determining the compensation of [$12,500 per month for] any employee who first becomes a member in a year commencing after 1995 [shall be disregarded]. The dollar [$12,500] limitation shall be adjusted for cost of living increases as provided under Section 401(a)(17) of the code.

(15) "Current service annuity" means a series of equal monthly payments payable for the member's life after retirement for creditable [membership] service from funds of the retirement system equal to:

(A) for Group A members, one-twelfth of the product of 3.0 [2.7] percent [or a higher percentage established by the retirement board under Section 10(g) of this Act] of a member's average final compensation multiplied by the number of months of creditable [membership] service; and

(B) for Group B members, one-twelfth of the product of 2.5 percent of a member's average final compensation multiplied by the number of months of creditable service.

(18A) "Early retirement eligible member" means a member of Group B that:

(A) is at least 55 years of age; and

(B) has at least 10 years of creditable service, excluding nonqualified permissive service credit.

(18B) "Early retirement annuity" means an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of a current service annuity that would otherwise be payable at age 65 under this Act but that is reduced based on the member's actual age in years and months.

(23A) "Group A" means the group of members of the retirement system that includes each member who:

(A) began membership service on or after January 1, 1941, and on or before December 31, 2011; or

(B) returned to full-time employment on or after January 1, 2012, and:

(i) was previously a member of Group A;

(ii) ceased to be a member of the retirement system;

(iii) received a distribution of the member's accumulated deposits; and

(iv) reinstated all of the member's prior membership service credit.

(23B) "Group B" means the group of members of the retirement system that includes each member who:

(A) began membership service on or after January 1, 2012; or

(B) returned to full-time employment on or after January 1, 2012, and:

(i) was previously a member of Group A;

(ii) ceased to be a member of the retirement system;

(iii) received a distribution of the member's accumulated deposits; and

(iv) has not reinstated all of the member's prior membership service credit.

(27) "Life annuity" means a series of equal monthly payments, payable after retirement for a member's life, consisting of a combination of prior service pension and current service annuity, or early retirement annuity, to which the member is entitled.

(30) "Member" means any:

(A) regular full-time employee of an employer; and

(B) former regular full-time employee who has not withdrawn the member's accumulated deposits from the system.

In any case of doubt regarding the eligibility of any employee to become or remain a member of the retirement system, or the assignment of a member to a group, the decision of the retirement board is final.

(32) "Normal retirement age" means:

(A) for members of Group A:

(i) age 62; [or]

(ii) [(B)] 55 years of age with 20 years of creditable service; or

(iii) [(C)] 23 years of creditable service, regardless of years of age; and

(B) for members of Group B:

(i) 62 years of age with 30 years of creditable service, excluding nonqualified permissive service credit; or

(ii) 65 years of age with five years of creditable service, excluding nonqualified permissive service credit.

(33) "Normal retirement date" means:

(A) for members of Group A, the earlier of the date a member attains a normal retirement age or the date on which the member has completed 23 years of creditable service; and

(B) for members of Group B, the date the members reaches normal retirement age under Subdivision (32)(B) [or a lesser number of years of creditable service established by the retirement board under Section 10(g) of this Act].

(34) "Prior service" means membership service as an employee of the city rendered:

(A) by a person prior to January 1, 1941, for which a pension credit is allowable under prior law governing the retirement system of that city; and

(B) for a person after January 1, 1941, includes redeemed membership [prior] service.

(35) "Prior service pension" means a series of equal monthly payments payable from funds of the retirement system for a member's life after retirement for prior service equal to one-twelfth of the product of 3.0 [2.7] percent [or a greater percentage established by the retirement board under Section 10(g) of this Act] of the member's average monthly earnings during a period of five years preceding January 1, 1941, multiplied by the number of months of prior service. [On retirement at an age other than normal retirement age, the monthly prior service pension herein prescribed shall be the actuarial equivalent thereof at the member's actual retirement date, based on the schedule or schedules of payments approved by the actuary and adopted by the retirement board and in effect on the member's actual retirement date.]

SECTION 3. Section 3, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICABILITY. Subject to the authority granted the retirement board in Section 7(d) of this Act: [,]

(1) members who retired, and the beneficiaries of members who died, prior to October 1, 2011 [1999], shall continue to receive the same retirement allowances or benefits they were entitled to receive prior to that date, together with any benefit increase authorized under this Act;

(2) members of the retirement system on or before December 31, 2011, shall be enrolled as members of Group A; and

(3) persons that first become members of the retirement system on or after January 1, 2012, shall be enrolled in Group B.

SECTION 4. Section 5, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), and (e) to read as follows:

(b) Membership in the retirement system consists of Groups A and B, each of which consists of the following groups:

(1) the active-contributory members group, which consists of all members, other than those on authorized leave of absence, who are making deposits;

(2) the active-noncontributory members group, which consists of all employees on approved medical leave of absence and all employees of an employer, other than inactive-contributory members, who have been active-contributory members but who are no longer so because they are not regular full-time employees;

(3) the inactive-contributory members group, which consists of all members who are on an authorized leave of absence and who continue to make deposits into the retirement system during their absence;

(4) the inactive-noncontributory members group, which consists of all members whose status as an employee has been terminated before retirement or disability retirement but who are still entitled to or who may become entitled to, or whose beneficiary may become entitled to, benefits from the retirement system; and

(5) the retired members group, which consists of all members who have retired and who are receiving or who are entitled to receive a retirement allowance.

(c) A member [An active-noncontributory member] becomes an active-contributory member immediately on resuming employment as a regular full-time employee or on returning from an approved medical leave of absence, as applicable. A member who resumes regular full-time employment is assigned to the group for which the member is qualified under Subdivisions (23A) and (23B), Section 2.

(e) Any person who has ceased to be a member and has received a distribution of the person's accumulated deposits may have the person's membership service in the original group in which the membership service was earned [or prior service] reinstated if the person is reemployed as a regular full-time employee [for a continuous period of 24 months] and deposits into the system[, within a reasonable period established by the retirement board on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis,] the accumulated deposits withdrawn by that person, together with an interest payment equal to the amount withdrawn multiplied by an interest factor. The interest factor is equal to the annually compounded interest rate assumed to have been earned by the fund beginning with the month and year in which the person withdrew the person's accumulated deposits and ending with the month and year in which the deposit under this subsection is made. The interest rate assumed to have been earned by the fund for any period is equal to the interest rate credited for that period to the accumulated deposits of members, divided by 0.75.

SECTION 5. Section 6, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsections (c) and (f), and adding Subsections (e-1) through (e-3), to read as follows:

(c)(1) Uniformed service creditable in the retirement system is any service required to be credited by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. Section 4301 et seq.), as amended, and certain federal duty service in the armed forces of the United States performed before the beginning of employment with the employer, other than service as a student at a service academy, as a member of the reserves, or any continuous active military service lasting less than 90 days. A member may use uniformed service to establish creditable service subject to the conditions of Subdivisions (2)-(6) of this subsection.

(2) A member may establish uniformed creditable service for an authorized leave of absence from employment for military service under this subsection by making periodic payments or a lump-sum payment. If the member elects to make periodic payments, the member shall make, each pay period during the period that the member is on authorized leave, a deposit in an amount equal to the amount of the member's deposit for the last complete pay period that the member was paid by the employer as a regular full-time employee. If the member elects to make a lump-sum payment, the member and the employer shall, not later than the fifth anniversary of the date the member returns to employment with the employer, make separate lump-sum payments equal to the total amount of the contributions the member would have made if the member had made periodic contributions. A lump-sum payment may not exceed the amount required under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. Section 4301 et seq.), as amended, if the member makes the contributions within the time required by that Act. The employee's employer shall make contributions to the retirement fund as though the member has continued employment at the salary of the member for the last complete pay period before the absence for military service. The employer's contributions shall be made each pay period if the member is making periodic payments during the period. During an authorized leave of absence, the member accrues membership service for the pay periods in which the member makes a deposit. Membership service credit for a lump-sum payment accrues at the time of payment.

(3) A member may establish uniformed creditable service for active federal duty service in the armed forces of the United States, other than service as a student at a service academy, as a member of the reserves, or any continuous active military service lasting less than 90 days, performed before the first day of employment of the member's most recent membership in the retirement system or its predecessor system. To establish creditable service under this subdivision, the member must contribute a lump-sum payment equal to 25 percent of the estimated cost of the retirement benefits the member will be entitled to receive. The retirement board will determine the required contribution based on a procedure recommended by the actuary and approved by the retirement board.

(4) A member is not eligible to establish uniformed service credit unless the member was released from active military duty under conditions other than dishonorable.

(5) A member may not establish creditable service in the retirement system for uniformed service for more than the greater of the creditable service required under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. Section 4301 et seq.), as amended, or 48 months of creditable service in the retirement system for uniformed service under this subsection. A member is not precluded from purchasing qualified military service to which the member is entitled solely because the member, before beginning a leave of absence for qualified military service, purchased creditable service for military service performed before becoming employed by the employer.

(6) After the member makes the deposit required by this subsection, the retirement system shall grant the member one month of creditable service for each month of creditable uniformed service established under this subsection.

(e-1) An active contributory member that is eligible for retirement may file a written application to convert to creditable service at retirement all or part of the member's sick leave accrued with the employer that is eligible for conversion. The application must be approved by the retirement board. The member may not convert sick leave for which the member is entitled to be paid for by the employer. Sick leave hours may be converted in pay period increments for the purpose of increasing creditable service that is used in the calculation of benefits. Sick leave hours may not be used to reach retirement eligibility. Both the employer and the member must make the equivalent amount of retirement contributions that would have been made had the sick hours been exercised and used as sick leave hours.

(e-2) Nonqualified permissive creditable service may be purchased only as provided by this subsection. A member may purchase nonqualified permissive creditable service:

(1) only to the extent permitted under both this subsection and Section 415(n) of the code;

(2) in an amount that:

(A) for each purchase, is not less than one month; and

(B) when all amounts purchased under this subsection are combined, not more than sixty months;

(3) only if the member has reinstated all prior membership service in:

(A) Groups A and B if the member was initially enrolled as a member of Group A, but ceased to be a member of Group A, by:

(i) first reinstating all prior membership service in Group A;

(ii) next reinstating all prior membership service in Group B; and

(iii) then purchasing the nonqualified permissive creditable service;

(B) Group B, if the member was initially enrolled as a member of Group B, by:

(i) first reinstating all prior membership service in Group B; and

(ii) then purchasing the nonqualified permissive creditable service.

(e-3) Nonqualified permissive creditable service purchased by members of Group B is not included in the creditable service required to qualify a member for normal or early retirement eligibility.

(f) The full actuarial cost of noncontributory creditable service purchased as provided by Subsections [Subsection] (e), (e-1), (e-2), and (e-3) of this section is payable by the member purchasing the credit.

SECTION 6. Section 7, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsections (a), (l), and (z), and adding Subsection (a-1) and (ii) to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, a member who retires on or after the member's normal retirement date for the group in which the member is enrolled, or a member of Group B eligible for early retirement who retires, and applies in writing for a retirement allowance shall receive the [a] life annuity (modified cash refund) or the early retirement annuity to which the member is entitled. An annuity begins [beginning] on the last day of the month after the month in which the member retired. Unless Section 8 of this Act applies, or the member is an early retirement eligible member of Group B, a member whose employment by the employer terminates before the member's normal retirement date is entitled to a distribution of the member's accumulated deposits in a single lump sum. On receiving that distribution, a member is not entitled to any other benefit under this Act. If a member has at least five years of creditable service and does not withdraw the member's accumulated deposits, the member is entitled to a life annuity (modified cash refund) beginning on the first day of the month after the month in which the member's normal retirement date occurs.

(a-1) If not already nonforfeitable, a member's retirement benefit becomes nonforfeitable at normal retirement age.

(l) (l) A member may file a written designation, which, if approved by the retirement board, shall entitle the member, on retirement, to receive the actuarial equivalent of the life annuity in the form of one of the following options:

(6) Option VI. Equivalent Benefit Plan. If a member requests in writing, any other form of benefit or benefits may be paid either to the member or to such person or persons as the member shall designate before the member's actual retirement date, provided that the benefit plan requested by the member is certified by the actuary for the system to be the actuarial equivalent of the life annuity with guaranteed refund of the retired member's accumulated deposits. If, on the death of the member and all other persons entitled to receive payments under an optional benefit, the member's accumulated deposits as of the member's actual retirement date exceed the sum of all payments made under that optional benefit, that excess shall be paid in one lump sum to the member's beneficiary. A member selecting this option may elect to receive (i) either a life annuity or one of the actuarially-equivalent annuities described by Subdivisions (1)-(5) and (ii) a lump-sum payment upon retirement. If a member requests a lump-sum payment, the annuity requested by the member shall be actuarially reduced as a result of the lump-sum payment. The lump-sum payment may not exceed an amount equal to the total amount of 60 monthly life annuity payments. Active contributory members that reach normal retirement age may upon retirement elect to participate in a backward deferred retirement option program ("Backward DROP") that permits a minimum participation period of one month and a maximum participation period of sixty months. This deferred retirement option is subject to retirement board policies issued in compliance with the Code. No interest will be paid on, or added to, any Backward DROP payment.

(z) If the person designated in writing by the member under Option I, Option II, or Option III, or, excluding a Joint and Last Survivor Option, any retirement option that includes a Joint and Survivor Option, predeceases the retired member, the reduced annuity of a retired member who selected the optional lifetime retirement annuity shall be increased to the standard service retirement annuity that the retiree would have been entitled to receive if the retired member had not selected Option I, Option II, or Option III. The standard service retirement annuity shall be appropriately adjusted for early retirement and for the postretirement increases in retirement benefits. The increase in the annuity under this subsection is payable to the retired member for life and begins with the later of the monthly payment made to the retired member for the month following the month in which the person designated by the member dies or the month following the month in which the retired member gives the system notice of the designated person's death.

(ii) If a member dies while performing qualified military service, the beneficiaries of the member are entitled to any additional benefits (other than benefit accruals relating to the qualified military service) that would have been provided if the member had returned from the military leave of absence and then terminated employment on account of death.

SECTION 7. Section 9, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding subsections (c) through (g) to read as follows:

Sec. 9. LIMITATIONS ON BENEFITS. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the annual benefit provided with respect to any member may not exceed the benefits allowed for a governmental defined benefit plan qualified under Section 401 [415] of the code. The maximum benefits allowed under this section shall increase each year to the extent permitted by annual cost-of-living increase adjustments announced by the Secretary of the Treasury under Section 415(d) of the code and the increased benefit limits shall apply to members who have terminated employment, including members who have commenced to receive benefits, before the effective date of the adjustment.

(c) A member who retires after reaching normal retirement age and continues or resumes employment with an employer in a position that is required to participate in another retirement system maintained by the employer continues to be eligible to receive the retirement allowance provided under this Act.

(d) The retirement board shall suspend the retirement allowance of a retired member who resumes employment with an employer within the period of time prescribed by the retirement board in the board's policy, or who resumes employment after retirement as a regular full-time employee of an employer. The retirement board shall reinstate the member's retirement allowance as provided under Subsection (f).

(e) The retirement board shall suspend the retirement allowance of a retired member who resumes employment with an employer in a position that is not required to participate in another retirement system maintained by an employer, and who is not a regular full-time employee of an employer, if the member works for, or is compensated by, an employer for more than 1508 hours in any rolling 12-month period after the member resumes employment with the employer. The retirement board shall reinstate the member's retirement allowance as provided under Subsection (f).

(f) A member whose retirement allowance is suspended under Subsections (d) or (e) may apply in writing for reinstatement of the retirement allowance when the member retires again. The retirement system shall calculate the reinstated retirement allowance based on the member's total creditable service, reduced actuarially to reflect the gross amount of total retirement allowance paid to the member prior to suspension of the retirement allowance.

(g) The retirement system and the employer shall adopt and amend procedures for the exchange of information in order to implement the provisions of this section.

SECTION 8. Section 10, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection (a) to read as follows:

Sec. 10. METHOD OF FINANCING. (a) Each active-contributory member shall make deposits to the retirement system at a rate equal to eight [seven] percent of the member's base compensation, pay, or salary, exclusive of overtime, incentive, or terminal pay or at a higher contribution rate approved by a majority vote of regular full-time employee members. Deposits shall be made by payroll deduction each pay period. If a regular full-time employee works at least 75 percent of a normal 40-hour work week but less than the full 40 hours, the employee shall make deposits as though working a normal 40-hour work week even though the rate of contribution may exceed eight [seven] percent of the employee's actual compensation, pay, or salary, and the employee's average final compensation shall be computed on the basis of the compensation, pay, or salary for a normal 40-hour work week. No deposits may be made nor membership service credit received for periods during which an employee's authorized normal work week is less than 75 percent of a normal 40-hour work week. A person who is eligible for inactive-contributory membership status and who chooses to be an inactive-contributory member shall make deposits to the retirement system each pay period in an amount that is equal to the amount of the member's deposit for the last complete pay period that the member was a regular full-time employee. The regular full-time employee members may increase, by a majority vote of all such members voting at an election to consider an increase in contributions, each member's contributions above eight [seven] percent or above the higher rate in effect and approved by majority vote in whatever amount the retirement board recommends. Each employer shall contribute amounts equal to eight [seven] percent of the compensation, pay, or salary of each active-contributory member and each inactive-contributory member employed by the employer, exclusive of overtime, incentive, or terminal pay, or a higher contribution rate agreed by the employer. If a regular full-time employee of the employer works at least 75 percent of a normal 40-hour work week but less than the full 40 hours, the employer shall make contributions for that employee as though that employee works a normal 40-hour work week even though the rate of contribution may exceed eight [seven] percent of that employee's actual compensation, pay, or salary. The governing body of the city may authorize the city to make additional contributions to the system in whatever amount the governing body may determine. If the governing body authorizes additional contributions to the system by the city for city employees, the board of each other employer shall [may] increase the contributions for such employer's respective employees by the same percentage. Employer contributions shall be made each pay period.

SECTION 9. Section 12, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:

(d-1) Members of the retirement system that are enrolled in Group A shall have the rights and be entitled to the benefits provided under this Act for members of Group A. Members of the retirement system that are enrolled in Group B shall have the rights and be entitled to the benefits provided under this Act for members of Group B. A member may not be a member of both Group A and Group B.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this Act to the contrary that would otherwise limit a distributee's election, a distributee may elect, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the retirement board, to have any portion of an eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee in a direct rollover. For purposes of this subsection:

(1) An eligible rollover distribution is any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover distribution does not include:

(A any distribution that is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than annually) made over the life (or life expectancy) of the distributee or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the distributee and the distributee's designated beneficiary;

(B) any series of payments for a specified period of ten years or more;

(C) any distribution to the extent such distribution is required under Section 401(a)(9) of the code; or

(D) the portion of any distribution that is not includable in gross income unless the distributee directs that the eligible rollover distribution be transferred directly to a qualified trust that is part of a defined contribution plan that agrees to separately account for the portion that is includible in gross income and the portion that is not, or to an individual retirement account or individual annuity) [(determined without regard to the exclusion for net unrealized appreciation with respect to employer securities)].

(2) An "eligible retirement plan" is an individual retirement account described in Section 408(a) of the code, an individual retirement annuity described in Section 408(b) of the code, an annuity plan described in Section 403(a) of the code, or a qualified trust described in Section 401(a) of the code, an eligible deferred compensation plan described in Section 457(b) which is maintained by an eligible employer described in Section 457(e)(l)(A) of the code, or an annuity contract described in Section 403(b) of the code, that accepts the distributee's eligible rollover distribution. However, in the case of an eligible rollover distribution to a designated beneficiary who is not the surviving spouse, or the spouse or former spouse under a qualified domestic relations order, an eligible retirement plan is an individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity only.

(3) A "distributee" includes an employee or former employee. In addition, the employee's or former employee's surviving spouse or designated beneficiary and the employee's or former employee's spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the code, are distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or the former spouse.

(4) A "direct rollover" is a payment by the retirement system to the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.

SECTION 10. The following laws are repealed:

(1) Subsection (p), Section 9, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); and

(2) Subsection (g), Section 10, Chapter 451, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 6243n, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).

SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each House, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect October 1, 2011.