The bill, H.B. No. 4537, proposes amendments to the Government Code regarding service retirement benefits for law enforcement and custodial officers under the Employees Retirement System of Texas. Key changes include the definition of "custodial officer," which now explicitly includes members employed by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and those in positions that allow for service credit as custodial officers. Additionally, the definition of "law enforcement officer" has been expanded to include those commissioned by various state departments, such as the Department of Public Safety and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The bill also introduces new standards for determining eligibility for service credit as a custodial officer, particularly for those whose duties are hazardous, and clarifies the certification process for names of law enforcement and custodial officers.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the eligibility criteria for retirement benefits, specifying that members must be at least 55 years old and have a minimum of 10 years of service credit as either a law enforcement officer or custodial officer. It establishes that the changes in law will apply to members employed by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, the comptroller, or the attorney general, regardless of their hire date. The implementation of these changes is contingent upon the availability of sufficient funding from the 89th Legislature to avoid increasing the retirement system's unfunded actuarial liabilities. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 811.001, Government Code 813.506, Government Code 814.104, Government Code 815.505 (Government Code 814, Government Code 811, Government Code 813, Government Code 815)