SB 2234

relating to the firefighters' relief and retirement fund of certain
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  The heading to Article 6243e.2(1), Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
Art. 6243e.2(1).  FIREFIGHTERS' RELIEF AND RETIREMENT FUND IN
MUNICIPALITIES OF AT LEAST 2,000,000 [1,600,000] POPULATION.
SECTION 2.  Section 1(13-e), Article 6243e.2(1), Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
(13-e)  "Normal retirement age" means:
(A)  [for a member, including a member who was
hired before the year 2017 effective date and who involuntarily
separated from service but has been retroactively reinstated in
accordance with an arbitration, civil service, or court ruling,
hired before the year 2017 effective date,] the age at which a [the]
member attains 20 years of service; or
(B)  [except as provided by Paragraph (A) of this
subdivision, for a member hired or rehired on or after the year 2017
effective date,] the age at which the member first attains both the
age of at least 50 and at least 10 years of service [sum of the
member's age, in years, and the member's years of participation in
SECTION 3.  Section 2(a), Article 6243e.2(1), Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
(a)  A firefighters' relief and retirement fund is
established in each incorporated municipality that has a population
of at least 2,000,000 [1,600,000] and a fully paid fire department.
SECTION 4.  Section 4(a), Article 6243e.2(1), Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
(a)  A member who terminates active service for any reason
other than death is entitled to receive a service pension provided
by this section if the member was:
(1)  hired as a firefighter before the year 2017
effective date, including a member who was hired before the year
2017 effective date and who involuntarily separated from service
but has been retroactively reinstated in accordance with an
arbitration, civil service, or court ruling, at the age at which the
member attains 20 years of service; and
(2)  except as provided by Subdivision (1) of this
subsection and subject to Subsection (b-2) of this section, hired
or rehired as a firefighter on or after the year 2017 effective
date, at the age at which the member attains 20 years of service
[when the sum of the member's age in years and the member's years of
participation in the fund equals at least 70].
SECTION 5.  Sections 5(a), (b), (b-1), (c), (d), (l), and
(m), Article 6243e.2(1), Revised Statutes, are amended to read as
(a)  A member who is eligible to receive a service pension
under Section 4 [4(a)(1)] of this article and who remains in active
service may elect to participate in the deferred retirement option
plan provided by this section. [A member who is eligible to receive
a service pension under Section 4(a)(2) of this article may not
elect to participate in the deferred retirement option plan
provided by this section.]  On subsequently terminating active
service, a member who elected the DROP may apply for a monthly
service pension under Section 4 of this article, except that the
effective date of the member's election to participate in the DROP
will be considered the member's retirement date for determining the
amount of the member's monthly service pension.  The member may also
apply for any DROP benefit provided under this section on
terminating active service.  An election to participate in the
DROP, once approved by the board, is irrevocable.
(b)  A member may elect to participate in the DROP by
complying with the election process established by the board.  The
member's election may be made at any time beginning on the date the
member has completed 20 years of participation in the fund and is
otherwise eligible for a service pension under Section 4 [4(a)(1)]
of this article.  Beginning on the first day of the month following
the month in which the member makes an election to participate in
the DROP, subject to board approval, and ending on the year 2017
effective date, amounts equal to the deductions made from the
member's salary under Section 13(c) of this article shall be
credited to the member's DROP account.  Beginning after the year
2017 effective date, amounts equal to the deductions made from the
member's salary under Section 13(c) of this article may not be
credited to the member's DROP account.
(b-1)  On or after the year 2017 effective date, an active
member may not participate in the DROP for more than 20 [13] years.
If a DROP participant remains in active service after the 20th
[13th] anniversary of the effective date of the member's DROP
(1)  subsequent deductions from the member's salary
under Section 13(c) of this article, except for unused leave pay,
may not be credited to the member's DROP account; and
(2)  the account shall continue to be credited with
earnings in accordance with Subsection (d) of this section.
(c)  After a member's DROP election becomes effective, an
amount equal to the monthly service pension the member would have
received under Section 4 of this article, if applicable, had the
member terminated active service on the effective date of the
member's DROP election shall be credited to a DROP account
maintained for the member.  That monthly credit to the member's DROP
account shall continue until the earlier of the date the member
terminates active service or the 20th [13th] anniversary of the
date of the first credit to the member's DROP account.
(d)  A member's DROP account shall be credited with earnings
at an annual rate equal to 70 [65] percent of the [compounded]
average annual return earned by the fund over the five years
preceding, but not including, the year during which the credit is
given.  Notwithstanding the preceding, however, the credit to the
member's DROP account shall be at an annual rate of not less than
2.5 percent, irrespective of actual earnings.
(l)  A member who participates in the DROP is ineligible for
disability benefits described by Section 6 of this article, except
that a member with less than 13 years of DROP participation is
eligible for the benefits described by Section 6(c).  If a member
who has a disability described by Section 6(c) of this article is a
DROP participant with less than 13 years of DROP participation, the
disability benefit provided by Section 6(c)(1) shall be paid to the
member, as a monthly pension benefit, in addition to payments from
the DROP account balance.  If a member who dies under the conditions
described by Section 7(c) of this article is a DROP participant at
the time of death or disability resulting in death, the benefit
provided by Section 7(c) shall be paid to the member's eligible
survivors, as a monthly pension benefit, in addition to payments
(m)  A DROP participant with a break in service may receive
service credit within DROP for days worked after the regular
expiration of the maximum DROP participation period prescribed by
this section.  The service credit shall be limited to the number of
days in which the participant experienced a break in service or the
number of days required to constitute 20 [13] years of DROP
participation, whichever is smaller.  A retired member who
previously participated in the DROP and who returns to active
service is subject to the terms of this section in effect at the
time of the member's return to active service.
SECTION 6.  Sections 8(a) and (c), Article 6243e.2(1),
Revised Statutes, are amended to read as follows:
(a)  A [On or after the year 2017 effective date, a] member
who [is hired as a firefighter before the year 2017 effective date,
including a member who was hired before the year 2017 effective date
and who involuntarily separated from service but has been
retroactively reinstated in accordance with an arbitration, civil
service, or court ruling,] terminates active service for any reason
other than death with at least 10 years of participation, but less
than 20 years of participation, is entitled to a monthly deferred
pension benefit, beginning at age 50, in an amount equal to 1.7
percent of the member's average monthly salary multiplied by the
amount of the member's years of participation.
(c)  A [Except as provided by Subsection (a) of this section,
a member who is hired or rehired as a firefighter on or after the
year 2017 effective date or a] member who terminates active service
[employment] for any reason other than death before the member has
completed 10 years of participation is entitled only to a refund of
the member's contributions without interest and is not entitled to
a deferred pension benefit under this section or to any other
benefit under this article.  The member's refund shall be paid as
soon as administratively practicable after the effective date of
the member's termination of active service.
SECTION 7.  Sections 1(13-e) and 4(a), Article 6243e.2(1),
Revised Statutes, as amended by this Act, apply to a member who
retires on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 8.  Section 5, Article 6243e.2(1), Revised Statutes,
as amended by this Act, applies to a member who participates in the
deferred retirement option plan on or after the effective date of
this Act regardless of whether the member began participation in
the plan before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 9.  Section 8, Article 6243e.2(1), Revised Statutes,
as amended by this Act, applies to a member who terminates active
service on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.