OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF T’EXAS 

AUSTIN 

Xonorable H., 3. Satterfield 

Firemen’8 Benefit Commlosibner 

Austin, ¶!exaa . 

We are pleased G 

reading a8 rouoras: 

ber OP a regularly organized fire ~departnent ior more 

than twenty years, but who ie not fifty-rlve years of 

age receive the beneiita grwided therein? 

"3. Xay a person who has attained the age 

of rirty-rive but has not served aotlvely ror 

. . 
Hon. H.’ B. Sa’ttex+ield, Paae 2 

a pklod’or twenty years in come regularly 

organized rlrs departi!mnt rooelve the benefita 

thereunder? 

“4. May s~p&c& who has earned a portion ot the twenty year period in a regularly 

organl%ed .ilre department or oae : olty anb who 

has then moved .to’another town and haa served 

sturi0irnt pour thorcr to make, ‘a tot41 ‘of tvifa- 

~ tg year? resaloe the bensilts~proolded thereln? 

. .-: .* 

.“5. &w many ‘&embers of a regularlporg~- 

iced l!iJ% depart-H mU$t pualitp under aha 

prOVleions~oi aal,d bill in order for any Member 

to partloip,ete la the beneilt~ provided by s+id 

laws” ,.i 

/ i 

.,I 

Seotlon 6, of Rouse’Blll No. ZiE!&ts of ths 

I 

:, 

Forty-riith Lsglolature (Artlols M%ge,‘~V.A,C.S;), reads as 

r0ii08at 

‘“On tind attar the 1st’ day Ott April, i.iL 

1939, any poreoh who haa been duly appolhted 

1 

end enrolled; and who has attained the age OS 

fifty-five (35) ye8rs and who haa~senad.+otivbly for a period of twonty (20) years In soaa 

regularly organl%ed’fire department in any city 

or towa $83 thl8 Stat&now within or that may , 0~ll6 within ths PPOVI~~~OIU~ 0r thit3 m, itt w * 

rank, whether as wholly paid, part paid! or volunteer rlrenmn hall be entitled to be retired from’ 

euoh servlos or department and shall be entitled 

to be paid from the.Flrements Relior and Retlrement Fund 0r that alty oztown, a monthly pent3Zon 

equal to one-half of his everage oronthly salary 

not to exceed u mexlmum or’,One Runared Dollar8 

,(@OO) ger month. Such average monthly salary 

to be baaed on the monthly average oT hia aslary 

ror the rive ISI year period preceding the date 

or suoh retIrementI provided rusther, that.lf 

his averaqa monthly salary is iT%‘iity Dollars ($50) 

or lees per month or ir a volunteer firemen with 

no salary. he shall be entitled ~to a monthly 

pen&ii & retlZement ~allowanos or twenty-rite 

Dollars (3E3) .” 

,, :,:‘,, 

,, ., 
~ The oonditiom thus inposed, regardIn@ sli~$billty 

ioc retireaent boner:ts, rsquin that a psreon b@ *duly 

appointed and enrolled*; he au& here attnlned the ego OS 

rirtpriye yearsi he mast have 6OrYed aotlrsly ior a mlnimm period or twenty years; and the'smrtlor mwt have been 

In som rogululy orgunlxad firm department rlthla the proVii3iO5R Ol ths AOL i;roh ok these OOndftioPr~6iWbt exist. 

ft la our opinloa; la amnr to your rht question, 

that a person muat be a member or 6 tire doportmeat at the 

tipe be reaohea the age of tlfty-fin yearn to be eligible 

to rearlvu the barits pro~iasd in s0otioa 6 nottithataaui4 

the requirement of twenty yearta at aerolaa may bars ken 

mrilled tiwetorore. Witness the uxagwga or seotion b 

Wmll be ohtitled to be rotlred*, obviosmly ix~plylng 

amtbernbip at euoh %ir. iv8 oonatFue the twsnty yuarr or 

servici3 oonditi~n an a mlnlmm ?OQU.iMHlAt, the abrtenao or 

which will render a person lnollglb1e upon hio attaining the 

age or rifty-rivrr years utatl1 suoh tline ae th8 twoaty yearn 

CP Sc3FYiCO haB bWJA OCS&'latsd. 

Your.second nnd third questions~ere anewerod In 

the ne(jativu. - It 14 cleusly W&red that a Qersarr shall 

have both reaohed the~68;* ot rirty-rive years aad 'served 

ror a xnirilmm perlokor twentr yemra~.&~~Zori.belu& oliglbla 

ror the bmmrlta provided in tJm 1~': 1.: 1:' 

Xt %P~CI~UP o&ton that raur rotrcth ~qu~~stlon rhould 

also be tmmmred in the ns%a’tlwt. xota the terminology or 

s8otion 6, rel~etlngoaly to reClrbMlot bwritt3, xv1t.h eraphaeia a&dad% 

* mp perman who harr beon dtilg appolntei &i enrolled, a&d who haB attalaea the 

aae . . . and I&O hos Sbrr6d aetiYslp lOP a 

period or twuntr (20) years in e . . . ilM 

departnsnt ,in any olty or tom . e . &all be 

entitled to be retlrud Fcos g&& . . . dcpaFtmnt and shall be entitlab to be paid Irem the 

P1rtYBent8 Raliot aad R43tImeent Fun6 or &f& 

oity or town . . .* 

tliewin~ the Aat aat a whole in the lnethod provided 

rcr the establi&hfmt and rarpleniohment or the fund of ea* 

, 
, 

‘\ 

23. \,,\,, 

Hon. H. 8. ktterrield, Pa@ 4 

oity or tom, and obeorving the sbrenoe 0r anr prmhlon 

for the transfer of any fnads fresone oity or town to 

aaotkar tnoleant to the ohiwq or mi%ubs?ship or a firsxian rrom tbo bepartaent or one oity or torn to that of 

another, we are ooaatninsd to hold that a8 to rqtlroment 

banerite the requldto tmfntp yew8 or sontoo mud ba in 

onu fire d*partmeat. 

Ip aaawer to pxcr rl@?, cpwtloa, it la observed 

that there 1s PO re@fremont is 8. 8. 256 rep+rdln(g the 

number or aedmrs of e firs depa&taent r&lob auat qaalify 

brfors sny msbor may partioipeta in ttm bsneilto prorid@& 

therein. Weberr or II rfm dspfmtment eltaot~ng not to 

qualify siBply do not gutfoipate und imi not liable ror 

any ealery doduotfons or paymat otherwIse rsqalred under 

Cieotion 10 or the Aot. Other zmmbers oi the rlre dspartsmnt 

are not ~p~nbalizoa therefor.