Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4945 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		89R21893 RDR-D
2	2		By: Ashby, Bumgarner H.B. No. 4945
	3	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4945:
	4	+	By: Bumgarner C.S.H.B. No. 4945
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7	9		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	10		AN ACT
9	11		relating to a study by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas on the
10	12		feasibility of offering alternative service retirement benefits to
11	13		certain members of the retirement system engaged in wildland
12	14		firefighting or employed in positions related to wildland
13	15		firefighting.
14	16		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	17		SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 825, Government Code, is
16	18		amended by adding Section 825.1086 to read as follows:
17	19		Sec. 825.1086. STUDY AND REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
18	20		RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND RELATED
19	21		EMPLOYEES. (a) The retirement system shall conduct a study on the
20	22		feasibility of offering members who are Texas A&M Forest Service
21	23		wildland firefighters and are employed in positions related to
22	24		wildland firefighting alternative service retirement benefits
23	25		under the system.
24	26		(b) In conducting the study, the retirement system shall
25	27		assess the costs to and impact on the retirement system associated
26	28		with offering members described by Subsection (a) the following
27	29		alternative service retirement benefits:
28	30		(1) a service retirement benefit under the existing
29	31		benefit plan that provides retirement eligibility and a
30	32		supplemental benefit under Subsection (c) within a new tier, to be
31	33		named Hazardous Duty, for:
32	34		(A) a member who is at least 55 years old and who
33	35		has at least 10 years of service credit as a wildland firefighter;
34	36		(B) a member who has at least 25 years of service
35	37		credit as a wildland firefighter, regardless of age; or
36	38		(C) a member who has at least 20 years of service
37	39		credit as a wildland firefighter, except that the member's service
38	40		retirement annuity will be actuarially reduced by five percent for
39	41		every year of difference between the member's age at retirement and
40	42		the normal retirement age within this tier; and
41	43		(2) a service retirement benefit under the existing
42	44		plan that provides retirement eligibility and a supplemental
43	45		benefit under Subsection (c), as applicable, within a new tier, to
44	46		be named Hazardous Duty-Administrative Support, for:
45	47		(A) a member who is vested in the retirement
46	48		system and who has been employed as a wildland firefighter during
47	49		the entirety of the member's employment with the Texas A&M Forest
48	50		Service; or
49	51		(B) a member who has service credit as a wildland
50	52		firefighter equal to at least the minimum number of years of service
51	53		credit required to vest in the system and who is employed in a
52	54		position that provides support services to wildland firefighters on
53	55		the member's retirement date.
54	56		(c) The standard service retirement annuity for a member who
55	57		is eligible to retire under a proposal described by Subsection
56	58		(b)(1) or (b)(2)(A) would be an amount computed on the basis of the
57	59		member's average annual compensation for the five years of service,
58	60		whether or not consecutive, in which the member received the
59	61		highest annual compensation, times the sum of the percentage factor
60	62		used in the computation of a standard service retirement annuity
61	63		under Section 824.203(a) plus 0.5 percent.
62	64		(d) The standard service retirement annuity for a member who
63	65		is eligible to retire under a proposal described by Subsection
64	66		(b)(2)(B) based on the age and service requirements described in
65	67		Subsection (b)(1) is the standard service retirement annuity
66	68		described by Subsection (c), provided the member is not entitled to
67	69		the additional 0.5 percent described by Subsection (c).
68	70		(e) Not later than March 1, 2026, the retirement system
69	71		shall begin coordinating with the Texas A&M Forest Service to
70	72		determine:
71	73		(1) positions that will qualify for benefits proposed
72	74		by Subsection (b) and the salaries of both existing and terminated
73	75		employees who accrued service credit for service provided on or
74	76		after September 1, 2009, and who would be eligible to retire under
75	77		any of the requirements proposed by Subsection (b) based on that
76	78		service credit;
77	79		(2) the effectiveness of using either the standard
78	80		service retirement annuity calculation under Section 824.203 plus
79	81		0.5 percent or a different annuity calculation that would provide
80	82		similar or more benefits than the calculation under Section 824.203
81	83		for a member who would be eligible to retire under any of the
82	84		requirements proposed by Subsection (b)(1) while maintaining the
83	85		actuarial soundness of the retirement system;
84	86		(3) the additional percentage of salary contribution
85	87		needed by both the employer and employee to provide for the
86	88		alternative retirement benefits proposed by Subsection (b) while
87	89		maintaining the actuarial soundness of the retirement system;
88	90		(4) the cost computed as additional employer and
89	91		employee contributions to provide the alternative retirement
90	92		benefits proposed by Subsection (b) attributable to service credit
91	93		described by that subsection for service performed on or after
92	94		September 1, 2009; and
93	95		(5) the cost and implications of the minimum age or
94	96		service credit requirements proposed by Subsection (b) to the
95	97		extent those age or service credit requirements are less stringent
96	98		than the minimum age or service credit requirements provided by
97	99		this subtitle.
98	100		(f) Not later than December 31, 2026, the retirement system
99	101		shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature that contains
100	102		the findings of the study and the determinations required by
101	103		Subsection (e).
102	104		(g) The Legislative Budget Board and the State Pension
103	105		Review Board shall, as necessary:
104	106		(1) assist the retirement system in conducting the
105	107		study; and
106	108		(2) provide the retirement system with any information
107	109		needed to complete the report required by Subsection (f).
108	110		(h) This section expires September 1, 2027.
109	111		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
110	112		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
111	113		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
112	114		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
113	115		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.