PERSONNEL
H.B. 159 (Raymond/Zaffirini) – Texas Municipal Retirement System: provides that an individual shall receive a lump-sum payment in an amount equal to the sum of the service retirement annuity payments if the person: (1) retired based on a bona fide termination of employment; (2) resumes employment with the reemploying city at least eight years after the effective date of the person’s retirement; and (3) retires after the effective date of the bill. (Effective September 1, 2011.)
S.B. 350 (Williams/Truitt) – Texas Municipal Retirement System: this bill: (1) combines the Municipality Accumulation Fund, Employees Saving Fund, and Current Service Annuity Reserve Fund into one fund (the Benefit Accumulation Fund); and (2) requires all benefits to be paid into and out of this fund. (Effective immediately.)
S.B. 423 (Lucio/Menendez) – Survivor Benefits: provides that: (1) survivors of trainee peace officers who are killed in the line of duty are eligible for health benefits; (2) a survivor who would be eligible for line of duty death health benefits may be: (a) eligible to purchase health benefits from the deceased officer’s employer’s benefits carrier even if the survivor has health benefits with another employer; and (b) eligible to apply for health benefits until September 1, 2012, if the officer died after September 1993. (Effective immediately.)
S.B. 545 (Seliger/Driver) – Police Termination Reports: provides that: (1) a police chief must indicate that an officer was terminated when filing a report to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer and Education; (2) an officer is authorized to dispute a report stating that the officer was terminated in an appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings; and (3) the commission may assess an administrative penalty against a police chief who fails to make a correction to an employment termination report after being ordered to do so by the State Office of Administrative Hearings. (Effective September 1, 2011.)
S.B. 812 (Zaffirini/Raymond) – Texas Municipal Retirement System:includes substantially the same provisions as H.B. 159, above. (Effective immediately.)
