Sec. 31A. AUTHORITY OF CERTAIN RETIREMENT SYSTEMS TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN PERSONS FROM COVERAGE. (a) In this section, "closure effective date" means the first day of the second month after the month in which the Texas Municipal Retirement System receives retirement system plan documents under Subsection (f)(2) of this section.
(b) This section applies only to a municipality:
(1) with a population of less than 200,000;
(2) that is located in a county with a population of not less than 2 million and not more than 4 million;
(3) that has a regularly organized fire department for which a retirement system and fund have been established under Section 4 of this Act; and
(4) that before January 1, 2017, has one or more departments participating in the Texas Municipal Retirement System.
(c) Subject to the requirements of this section, the governing body of a municipality subject to this section may adopt one or more ordinances to exclude from participation in the retirement system employees of the fire department first hired on or after the closure effective date.
(d) If the governing body of a municipality adopts an ordinance under Subsection (c) of this section, the governing body shall concurrently adopt an ordinance to allow the employees described by the ordinance to participate in the Texas Municipal Retirement System.
(e) Not later than the 60th day after the date an ordinance is adopted under Subsection (c) of this section, the municipality shall submit the ordinance to an election of the participating members of the retirement system established in the municipality. To be approved at the election, a majority of the participating members must vote in favor of the ordinance.
(f) If the voting members approve an ordinance under Subsection (e) of this section, as soon as practicable after the date of the election:
(1) the board of trustees of the retirement system shall amend the retirement system plan documents as necessary to be consistent with the approved ordinance; and
(2) the municipality shall give written notice of the results of the election to the Texas Municipal Retirement System and include copies of the relevant ordinances and any amended retirement system plan documents.
(g) If a municipality adopts ordinances under Subsections (c) and (d) of this section, all subsequent actions authorized or required by this section must be completed before October 1, 2018. If all subsequent actions are not completed before October 1, 2018:
(1) as soon as practicable after that date, the Texas Municipal Retirement System shall publish notice to that effect in the Texas Register; and
(2) Section 851.0011, Government Code, this section, and the ordinances adopted under Subsections (c) and (d) of this section expire on October 1, 2018.
Structure Texas Statutes
Article 6243e. Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act
Section 4. Retirement System and Trust Fund
Section 5. Exemption From Judicial Process
Section 7. Modification of Benefits and Eligibility
Section 8. Recovery of Amounts Wrongfully Obtained
Section 11. Previous Fire Department Service
Section 12. Service Retirement
Section 14. Disability Retirement
Section 16. Reduction of Benefits During Deficiency
Section 17. Person Causing Death of Member or Annuitant
Section 18. Provisions Applicable to Boards of Trustees Generally
Section 18B. Technical Assistance, Training, and Information for Boards of Trustees
Section 19. Board of Trustees for Paid or Part-Paid Fire Department
Section 20. Board of Trustees for Volunteer Fire Department
Section 22. Appeals From Local Board Decisions
Section 24. Certified Public Accountant
Section 26. Gifts Accepted From Any Source
Section 27. Investment of Assets
Section 28. Investment Manager and Counseling Service
Section 30. Pick Up of Employee Contributions
Section 31. Termination of Participation in Act
Section 31A. Authority of Certain Retirement Systems to Exclude Certain Persons From Coverage
Section 32. Confidentiality of Information About Members, Retirees, Annuitants, or Beneficiaries