By: Lambert, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 3474
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2025;
  May 7, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
  May 14, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 15,
  Nays 0; May 14, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the evaluation and reporting of investment practices
  and performance of certain public retirement systems.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 802.109, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (d), (e), (e-1), (f), and (g) and adding
  Subsections (d-1), (d-2), and (j) to read as follows:
         (d)  In accordance with a schedule of deadlines prescribed by
  the board and except as provided by Subsection (e), a [A] public
  retirement system shall conduct an [the] evaluation under
  [described by] Subsection (a):
               (1)  once every three years, if the total assets of the
  retirement system as of the date [last day] of the preceding
  evaluation [fiscal year] were at least $100 million; or
               (2)  subject to Subsection (d-1), once every six years,
  if the total assets of the retirement system as of the date [last
  day] of the preceding evaluation [fiscal year] were at least $30
  million and less than $100 million.
         (d-1)  If a public retirement system is conducting
  evaluations every six years as required by Subsection (d)(2) and
  the system's total pension liability increases to at least $100
  million during a fiscal year, the system shall complete the next
  evaluation under Subsection (a) by the next appropriate deadline,
  as determined by the board, under the evaluation schedule.
         (d-2)  Subject to Subsection (d-1) and except as provided by
  Subsection (e), a public retirement system subject to an evaluation
  requirement under Subsection (d)(1) or (2) remains subject to that
  same requirement unless both the total assets and the total pension
  liability of the system decrease to an amount that is below the
  minimum amount prescribed by the applicable requirement.
         (e)  A public retirement system is not required to conduct an
  [the] evaluation under [described by] Subsection (a) if the total
  assets of the retirement system were less than $30 million as of the
  last day of the [preceding] fiscal year immediately preceding the
  next evaluation deadline under the evaluation schedule [were less
  than $30 million].
         (e-1)  An [Not later than the 30th day after the date an]
  independent firm that completes an evaluation described by
  Subsection (a)[, the independent firm] shall:
               (1)  submit to the public retirement system for
  purposes of discussion and clarification a substantially completed
  [preliminary] draft of the evaluation report; and
               (2)  request in writing that the system[, on or before
  the 30th day after the date the system receives the preliminary
  draft,] submit to the firm:
                     (A)  a description of any action taken or expected
  to be taken in response to a recommendation made in the evaluation;
  and
                     (B)  any written response of the system that the
  system wants to accompany the final evaluation report.
         (f)  The independent firm shall file the final evaluation
  report, including the evaluation results and any response received
  from the public retirement system, with the governing body of the
  system[:
               [(1)  not earlier than the 31st day after the date on
  which the preliminary draft is submitted to the system; and
               [(2)  not later than the later of:
                     [(A)  the 60th day after the date on which the
  preliminary draft is submitted to the system; or
                     [(B)  May 1 in the year following the year in which
  the system is evaluated under Subsection (a)].
         (g)  The [Not later than the 31st day after the date the]
  governing body of a public retirement system that receives a report
  of an evaluation under this section[, the governing body] shall
  submit the report to the board.
         (j)  In this section:
               (1)  "Evaluation schedule" means the schedule of
  deadlines prescribed by the board under Subsection (d).
               (2)  "Total pension liability" means the portion of the
  present value of projected retirement benefit payments to be
  provided through the retirement system to active and inactive
  members that is attributable to those members' past periods of
  service, in compliance with Statement No. 68 of the Governmental
  Accounting Standards Board.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than January 1, 2026, the State Pension
  Review Board shall develop the schedule of deadlines required by
  Section 802.109(d), Government Code, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
 
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