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.