HBA-JEK, TBM H.B. 853 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 853 By: McClendon Pensions & Investments 2/20/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law an employee of the State of Texas is able, on retirement, to use accumulated sick leave as time credited towards the employee's retirement. However, a state employee whose employment is terminated before retirement loses all of the accumulated sick leave and sick leave retirement credit. House Bill 853 provides that employees with at least 10 years of service may use the accumulated sick leave as retirement credit even if employment is terminated. 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 853 amends the Government Code to entitle a person who holds a position included in the employee class of membership (member) in the Employees Retirement System of Texas during the month that includes the effective date of the member's termination of employment and has at least 10 years of membership service to earn service credit in the retirement system for the member's accumulated and unused sick leave. If a member returns to employment with the state before the first anniversary of the date of the member's termination of employment, the member is not entitled to service credit previously credited for accumulated sick leave. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.