Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1683 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 03/06/2019

                            86R8893 TSR-F
 By: Huffman S.B. No. 1683


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the benefits from, membership in, and administration of
 the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 822.003(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  A person terminates membership in the retirement system
 by:
 (1)  death;
 (2)  retirement;
 (3)  withdrawal of all of the person's accumulated
 contributions while the person is absent from service; or
 (4)  not qualifying for service credit for five
 consecutive years.
 SECTION 2.  Section 822.005(d), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (d)  The retirement system shall adopt procedures to track
 and compile information of all applications filed under this
 section from the time an application is made until [any warrant for]
 the refund is issued by the retirement system.
 SECTION 3.  Section 823.006, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 823.006.  LIMITS ON ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PURCHASE
 OF SERVICE CREDIT. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
 subtitle, the retirement system shall [may] limit the purchase of
 service credit to the extent required by applicable limits on the
 amount of annual contributions a participant may make to a
 qualified plan under Sections 401(a) and 415(c), Internal Revenue
 Code of 1986.
 SECTION 4.  Section 824.101(g), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (g)  Receipt by the retirement system of a certified copy of
 a divorce or annulment decree between a member or annuitant and a
 designated beneficiary revokes any designation of the former spouse
 as beneficiary of any death benefits payable under Subchapter E or F
 of this chapter that was effective before the date of divorce or
 annulment, if the decree is received by the retirement system
 before the payment of any part of the death benefit to any
 beneficiary.
 SECTION 5.  Section 824.1013(c-1), Government Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (c-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (c), a trust designated as
 a beneficiary under this section is entitled on the retiree's death
 to receive monthly payments of the survivor's portion of the
 retiree's optional retirement annuity for the remainder of the
 trust beneficiary's life if the beneficiary designated at the time
 of the retiree's retirement is the sole beneficiary of the trust. A
 beneficiary designated under this section is entitled on the
 retiree's death to receive monthly payments of the survivor's
 portion of the retiree's optional retirement annuity for the
 remainder of the beneficiary's life if the beneficiary designated
 at the time of the retiree's retirement is a trust and the
 beneficiary designated under this section is:
 (1)  the sole beneficiary of that trust; or
 (2)  an individual who at the time of the retiree's
 death is the sole beneficiary of that trust.
 SECTION 6.  Section 824.201(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  A member may apply for a service retirement annuity by
 filing an [a written] application for retirement with the board of
 trustees.
 SECTION 7.  Section 824.301(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  A member may apply for a disability retirement annuity
 by:
 (1)  filing an [a written] application for retirement
 with the board of trustees; or
 (2)  having an application filed with the board by the
 member's legal representative.
 SECTION 8.  The heading to Section 824.404, Government Code,
 is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 824.404.  OPTIONAL MONTHLY SURVIVOR BENEFITS.
 SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.