HBA-NRS.MPM H.B. 464 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 464 By: Longoria Pensions & Investments 3/12/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, county court-at-law judges in a few of the larger counties in Texas (Bexar, Harris, Dallas, and Travis) are eligible to retire and receive a service annuity after eight years of service if a member is at least 65 years old. However, a member of either the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or Plan Two (plans) becomes eligible to retire after ten years of service if the member is at least 65 years old. The plans allow membership by judges, justices, and commissioners of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, courts of appeals, district courts, and commissions to one of those courts. House Bill 464 provides that a member participating in one of the plans is eligible to retire after eight years of service if the member is at least 65 years of age, after 18 years of service, or when the sum of the member's age and service credit equals at least 75 years. 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 464 amends the Government Code to modify eligibility requirements for members of the Judicial Retirement System of Texas (retirement system) receiving a base service retirement annuity or service retirement annuity. A member is eligible for either annuity if the member: _is at least 65 years old, and has at least eight years, rather than 10 years, of service credited in the retirement system; _has at least 18 years, rather than 20 years, of service credited in the retirement system; or _the sum of the member's age and service credit is equal to or exceeds the number 75. The bill deletes the distinction that a member who is otherwise eligible to receive an annuity currently hold a judicial office. Additionally, the bill reduces from 10 years to eight years the number of years of service credit in the retirement system a member must have in order to select a death benefit plan. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.