Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2471 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	By: Geren H.B. No. 2471
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to eligibility for law enforcement officer service in the
7	7	Employees Retirement System of Texas by certain peace officers
8	8	commissioned by the comptroller.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 811.001(9), Government Code, is amended
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	(9) "Law enforcement officer" means a member of the
13	13	retirement system who:
14	14	(A) has been commissioned as a law enforcement
15	15	officer by the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic
16	16	Beverage Commission, the Parks and Wildlife Department, [or] the
17	17	office of inspector general at the Texas Juvenile Justice
18	18	Department, or the comptroller; and
19	19	(B) is recognized as a commissioned law
20	20	enforcement officer by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
21	21	SECTION 2. Section 814.104(b), Government Code, is amended
22	22	to read as follows:
23	23	(b) A member who is at least 55 years old and who has at
24	24	least 10 years of service credit as a commissioned peace officer
25	25	engaged in criminal law enforcement activities of the Department of
26	26	Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Parks
27	27	and Wildlife Department, [or] the office of inspector general at
28	28	the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, or the comptroller, or as a
29	29	custodial officer, is eligible to retire and receive a service
30	30	retirement annuity.
31	31	SECTION 3. Section 815.505, Government Code, is amended to
32	32	read as follows:
33	33	Sec. 815.505. CERTIFICATION OF NAMES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
34	34	CUSTODIAL OFFICERS. Not later than the 12th day of the month
35	35	following the month in which a person begins or ceases employment as
36	36	a law enforcement officer or custodial officer, the Public Safety
37	37	Commission, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Parks and
38	38	Wildlife Commission, the office of inspector general at the Texas
39	39	Juvenile Justice Department, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, [or]
40	40	the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, or the comptroller, as
41	41	applicable, shall certify to the retirement system, in the manner
42	42	prescribed by the system, the name of the employee and such other
43	43	information as the system determines is necessary for the crediting
44	44	of service and financing of benefits under this subtitle.
45	45	SECTION 4. (a) The changes in law made to Subtitle B, Title
46	46	8, Government Code, by this Act apply to a member of the Employees
47	47	Retirement System of Texas who is employed as a commissioned peace
48	48	officer by the comptroller on or after the effective date of this
49	49	Act regardless of whether the member was hired by the comptroller
50	50	before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
51	51	(b) Service credit established by a member described by
52	52	Subsection (a) of this section that was earned by the member in the
53	53	position of a commissioned peace officer before the effective date
54	54	of this Act is considered service credit established as a law
55	55	enforcement officer for purposes of determining the benefits
56	56	payable from the law enforcement and custodial officer supplemental
57	57	retirement fund.
58	58	(c) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
59	59	Act, the board of trustees of the Employees Retirement System of
60	60	Texas, in consultation with the comptroller, may adopt rules
61	61	necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act.
62	62	(d) The comptroller shall:
63	63	(1) as soon as practicable after the effective date of
64	64	this Act, certify to the Employees Retirement System of Texas, in
65	65	the form and manner prescribed by the board of trustees of the
66	66	retirement system:
67	67	(A) the name of each member who is employed as a
68	68	commissioned peace officer by the comptroller on the effective date
69	69	of this Act;
70	70	(B) the amount of service credit established by
71	71	the member as a commissioned peace officer before the effective
72	72	date of this Act; and
73	73	(C) any other information the retirement system
74	74	determines is necessary to credit law enforcement officer service
75	75	in accordance with the changes in law made by this Act; and
76	76	(2) beginning with the first pay period that occurs
77	77	after the effective date of this Act and with respect to each member
78	78	employed by the comptroller as a commissioned peace officer, begin
79	79	making deductions and collecting contributions for the law
80	80	enforcement and custodial officer supplemental retirement fund as
81	81	prescribed by Section 815.402(h), Government Code.
82	82	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023, but only
83	83	if funds are appropriated for the purpose of providing benefits
84	84	under this Act. If funds are not appropriated for that purpose,
85	85	this Act does not take effect.