85R10672 KFF-F By: Meyer H.B. No. 3056 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System of certain employees of certain municipalities subject to the Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. The Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act (Article 6243e, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section 31A to read as follows: 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 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 not later than October 1, 2018. If all subsequent actions are not completed by October 1, 2018, the ordinances adopted under Subsections (c) and (d) of this section expire on that date. SECTION 2. Section 851.001(7), Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (7) "Department" means: (A) a recognized division performing a governmental or proprietary function of a municipality; and (B) if applicable, employees allowed to participate in the retirement system in accordance with Section 31A, Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act (Article 6243e, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes). SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.