HBA-DMH, MPM H.B. 2309 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2309
By: Ellis, Dan
Pensions & Investments
3/12/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the standard multiplier used to determine the standard service
retirement annuity for service in the employee class of membership in the
Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS) is 2.25 percent. A Texas
Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) custodial officer who is certified by
ERS as a custodial officer is entitled to a 2.75 multiplier for such a
calculation owing to the  hazardous nature of his or her position, which
involves working in close contact with inmates.  However, if an employee is
moved by TDCJ from the hazardous duty position before they have completed
20 years of service, the employee's service retirement annuity is
calculated at the 2.25 percent rate.  House Bill 2309 establishes that TDCJ
employees retain the higher multiplier for their service as custodial
officers if removed from hazardous duty conditions in TDCJ under certain
conditions. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2309 amends the Government Code to provide that a member of the
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) is eligible to retire and
receive a standard service retirement annuity for all service credit as a
custodial officer if the member has at least 12 years of service credit as
a custodial officer on March 1, 2001, is transferred by the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) from a position as a custodial
officer to another position in TDCJ, and has at least 20 years total
service credit.  The bill provides the method for computing the service
retirement annuity. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.