HBA-SEB H.B. 3660 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3660 By: Maxey Pensions and Investments 7/20/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law entitles career or technology education teachers to salary step credit for up to two years of work experience as if it were teaching experience in public schools if such experience is required for certification in a career technology field. Prior to the 76th Legislature, however, those teachers could not purchase credit in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) for the years for which they were given salary step credit. H.B. 3660 authorizes a certified career or technology education teacher to establish credit in TRS for up to two years of related work experience. 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 Subchapter E, Chapter 823, Government Code, by adding Section 823.404, as follows: Sec. 823.404. WORK EXPERIENCE BY CAREER OR TECHNOLOGY TEACHER. (a) Authorizes an eligible member of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) to establish equivalent membership service credit for employment for which the member is entitled to salary step credit under Section 21.403(b), Education Code, which entitles a certified career or technology teacher to a salary step for each year of work experience in a related field for up to two years. (b) Provides that a member is eligible to establish equivalent membership service credit if the member has at least five years of membership service credit. (c) Authorizes a member to establish equivalent membership service credit by depositing a specific amount with TRS for each year of service. Provides that the amount is the actuarial present value of the additional standard retirement annuity benefits that would be attributable to the conversion of the work experience into service credit based on rates and tables recommended by the actuary and adopted by the board of trustees of TRS. (d) Requires TRS, after a member makes the deposit, to grant the member one year of equivalent membership service credit for each year of service approved. SECTION 2. Amends Section 823.004(a), Government Code, to require credit for work experience in a career or technology field to be computed on a September 1 through August 31 school year. SECTION 3. Amends Section 825.307(a), Government Code, to make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.