HBA-SEB H.B. 3327 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3327
By: Gallego
Pensions and Investments
4/1/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the amount of a peace officer's disability retirement annuity is
50 percent of the officer's monthly compensation.  This amount may not be
sufficient for a disabled officer who needs to retrain or find a new line
of work.  At this time, 134 officers in this state receive retirement
benefits due to an injury sustained in the line of duty.  H.B. 3327
increases the minimum retirement annuity for a disabled peace officer from
50 to 70 percent of the officer's monthly salary. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 814.207(c), Government Code, to prohibit a
disability retirement annuity under this section (Disability Retirement
Benefits for Certain Peace Officers) from being less than 70, rather than
50, percent, of the officer's monthly compensation regardless of the amount
of service credited to the officer in the employee class of the Employees
Retirement System of Texas (ERS).   

SECTION 2.  Requires ERS to recompute an annuity that first became payable
before September 1, 1999, as though Section 814.207(c), Government Code, as
amended by this Act, was in effect on the date the annuity first became
available.  Provides that the first payment of the recomputed annuity is
payable on the first payment date occurring on or after the effective date
of this Act. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.