Bill Text: TX HB1608 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to participation in and contributions to the state employee charitable campaign by retired state employees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective immediately [HB1608 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HB1608-Comm_Sub.html

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82R21994 SGA-F
By: Strama H.B. No. 1608
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1608:
By: Anchia C.S.H.B. No. 1608

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to participation in and contributions to the state
employee charitable campaign by retired state employees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 659.140(c), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) The [Each member of the] state policy committee must:
(1) be composed of employees and retired state
employees receiving benefits under Chapter 814; and
(2) [a state employee. The membership must] represent
employees at different levels of employee classification.
SECTION 2. Section 659.143(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The presiding officer of a local employee committee
shall recruit at least five but not more than 10 additional members.
The members must represent different levels of employee
classification. One or more members may be retired state employees
receiving retirement benefits under Chapter 814.
SECTION 3. The heading to Section 814.009, Government Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 814.009. DEDUCTION FROM ANNUITY FOR STATE EMPLOYEE
ORGANIZATION.
SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 814, Government Code, is
amended by adding Sections 814.0095 and 814.0096 to read as
follows:
Sec. 814.0095. CHARITABLE DEDUCTION FROM ANNUITY. (a)
Except as provided by Section 814.0096(c), a person who receives an
annuity under this subchapter may, on a printed or electronic form
filed with the retirement system, authorize the retirement system
to deduct from the person's monthly annuity payment the amount of a
contribution to the state employee charitable campaign in the
manner and for the same purposes for which a state employee may
authorize deductions to that campaign under Subchapter I, Chapter
659.
(b) An authorization under this section must direct the
board of trustees to deposit the deducted funds with the
comptroller for distribution as required by Section 659.132(g) in
the same manner in which a state employee's deduction is
distributed.
(c) An authorization under this section remains in effect
for the period described by Section 659.137 unless the person
revokes the authorization by giving notice to the board of
trustees.
(d) The board of trustees may adopt rules to administer this
section. Any rules adopted must be consistent with the
comptroller's rules related to the state employee charitable
campaign.
Sec. 814.0096. COORDINATION WITH STATE EMPLOYEE CHARITABLE
CAMPAIGN POLICY COMMITTEE. (a) The board of trustees and the state
employee charitable campaign policy committee established under
Section 659.140 shall coordinate responsibility for the
administration of charitable deductions from annuity payments to
the state employee charitable campaign under Section 814.0095.
(b) The state policy committee is authorized to approve a
budget that includes funding for as many of the expenses incurred by
the retirement system associated with the implementation and
administration of annuitants' participation in the state employee
charitable campaign as is practicable, including notification of
annuitants.
(c) Except as provided by this subsection, the board of
trustees shall charge an administrative fee to cover any costs not
paid under Subsection (b) in the implementation of Section 814.0095
to the charitable organizations participating in the state employee
charitable campaign conducted under that section in the same
proportion that the contributions to that charitable organization
bear to the total of contributions in that campaign. The board of
trustees shall determine the most efficient and effective method of
collecting the administrative fee and shall adopt rules for the
implementation of this subsection.
(d) If necessary, the board of trustees and the state policy
committee may make the annuity deduction authorization under
Section 814.0095(a) available in stages to subgroups of the
retirement system's annuity recipients as money becomes available
to cover the expenses under Subsection (b) of this section.
SECTION 5. (a) The board of trustees of the Employees
Retirement System of Texas, in cooperation with the comptroller and
the state employee charitable campaign policy committee
established under Section 659.140, Government Code, as amended by
this Act, may adopt rules to implement Sections 814.0095 and
814.0096, Government Code, as added by this Act.
(b) The board of trustees of the Employees Retirement System
of Texas by rule shall designate the start date on which annuity
deductions begin under Sections 814.0095 and 814.0096, Government
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.