Bill Text: TX HB1939 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an advisory committee to assist the board of trustees of the Texas Municipal Retirement System.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-07 - Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services [HB1939 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB1939-Introduced.html
82R5935 TJS-F | ||
By: Menendez | H.B. No. 1939 |
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relating to the creation of an advisory committee to assist the | ||
board of trustees of the Texas Municipal Retirement System. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 855, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 855.117 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 855.117. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The board of | ||
trustees shall establish an advisory committee to: | ||
(1) provide input to the board on matters relating to | ||
the retirement system; | ||
(2) facilitate communication between the retirement | ||
system and its members, retirees, beneficiaries, and participating | ||
municipalities; and | ||
(3) allow stakeholders, municipal officials and | ||
policy makers, and employee organizations to share their input and | ||
perspective on issues under review by the board. | ||
(b) The advisory committee consists of: | ||
(1) a trustee of the board of trustees appointed by the | ||
board who shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member and | ||
presiding officer of the advisory committee; and | ||
(2) individual class members and group class members | ||
appointed in accordance with this section. | ||
(c) The board of trustees shall appoint nine individual | ||
class members to serve staggered three-year terms so that three | ||
individual class members' terms expire at the end of each calendar | ||
year. An individual class member may not serve more than two terms. | ||
The board shall fill the position of an individual class member: | ||
(1) at the December meeting of the board of trustees | ||
that occurs immediately before the date on which a member's term is | ||
due to expire; and | ||
(2) in the event of a vacancy, at the next regularly | ||
scheduled meeting of the board. | ||
(d) Individual class members must be highly qualified and | ||
diverse, as determined by the board of trustees, and their | ||
membership must fairly represent different geographic regions of | ||
the state, differently sized municipalities, different employment | ||
and professional backgrounds, and the diverse workplaces of | ||
participating municipalities. To serve as an individual class | ||
member, a person must be: | ||
(1) a member of the retirement system; | ||
(2) a retiree of a participating municipality; | ||
(3) an elected official of a participating | ||
municipality; | ||
(4) a former trustee of the board of trustees; or | ||
(5) a qualified individual, as determined by the | ||
board, with knowledge of the funding and operation of public | ||
retirement systems. | ||
(e) An individual class member serves at the will of the | ||
board of trustees. | ||
(f) Group class membership may only be composed of one | ||
representative and one alternate representative from each of the | ||
following organizations: | ||
(1) the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of | ||
Texas; | ||
(2) the Texas Municipal Police Association; | ||
(3) the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters; | ||
(4) the Service Employees International Union; | ||
(5) the Texas Municipal League; | ||
(6) the Government Finance Officers Association of | ||
Texas; | ||
(7) the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association; | ||
and | ||
(8) any other organization designated by the board of | ||
trustees. | ||
(g) An alternate representative shall attend an advisory | ||
committee meeting, including a joint meeting with the board of | ||
trustees, if the representative of an organization is unable to | ||
attend. | ||
(h) Each organization listed in Subsection (f) may, at the | ||
organization's sole discretion, nominate the representative and | ||
the alternate to serve as a group class member of the advisory | ||
committee. Each organization shall communicate the organization's | ||
nomination to the board of trustees in writing. The board shall | ||
appoint the nominee to the advisory committee at the next scheduled | ||
meeting of the board after the nomination is received by the board. | ||
If a member of the group class resigns, is removed, or becomes | ||
unable to serve on the advisory committee, the organization may | ||
nominate another person to that position in writing to the board and | ||
the board shall appoint the nominee to the advisory committee at the | ||
board's next scheduled meeting. | ||
(i) A group class member may be removed by the board of | ||
trustees for cause or at the will of the organization that nominated | ||
the member. | ||
(j) The advisory committee shall meet quarterly or at the | ||
call of the presiding officer. All meetings shall take place at the | ||
offices of the retirement system or at a place specified by the | ||
presiding officer. The presiding officer shall determine the | ||
agenda for a meeting in advance of the meeting. | ||
(k) A quorum of the advisory committee is a majority of all | ||
of the members attending a meeting, excluding alternates not | ||
attending on behalf of a representative. A majority vote of a | ||
quorum of the advisory committee is required for action by the | ||
advisory committee. Each member of the individual class and each | ||
representative of an organization in the group class is entitled to | ||
one vote. | ||
(l) The advisory committee shall: | ||
(1) participate in an annual joint meeting with the | ||
board of trustees to receive from the board a presentation of the | ||
retirement system's most recent actuarial valuation; | ||
(2) review and provide input to the board regarding | ||
potential legislative changes affecting the retirement system; | ||
(3) provide input to the board regarding issues | ||
affecting the retirement system's participating municipalities, | ||
members, retirees, and beneficiaries; and | ||
(4) maintain communication with statewide | ||
professional organizations, including employer and employee | ||
groups. | ||
(m) The advisory committee shall report on its activities to | ||
the board of trustees at meetings with and special presentations | ||
before the board, which shall be scheduled as needed. | ||
(n) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the advisory committee. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2012, the board of | ||
trustees of the Texas Municipal Retirement System shall establish | ||
the advisory committee required by Section 855.117, Government | ||
Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |