2023 Texas Statutes › Vernon's Civil Statutes › Title 109 - Pensions › Article 6243q. Retirement Health Trust for Firefighters and Police Officers › Article 4. Membership and Contributions › Section 4.02. Member and Beneficiary Contributions

Sec. 4.02.  MEMBER AND BENEFICIARY CONTRIBUTIONS.  (a)  Subject to Section 4.022 of this Act, there shall be deducted from each member's compensation and contributed to the fund on each payroll date an amount equal to the member contribution amount applicable to the fiscal year in which the payroll date occurs.  The member contribution amount applicable to a fiscal year equals the amount obtained by:
(1)  multiplying the average member salary for the preceding fiscal year by the percentage equal to 100 percent plus the estimated percentage increase in the annual member payroll from the preceding fiscal year to the fiscal year as determined by the actuary;
(2)  multiplying the product computed under Subdivision (1) of this subsection by the percentage applicable to the fiscal year as provided in Subsection (b) of this section; and
(3)  dividing the product computed under Subdivision (2) of this subsection by the total number of payroll dates that occur during the fiscal year.
(b)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(2) and (d)(2) of this section, the percentage applicable to each fiscal year is:
(1)  2.0 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2007, and ending September 30, 2008;
(2)  2.7 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2008, and ending September 30, 2009;
(3)  3.4 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2009, and ending September 30, 2010;
(4)  4.1 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2010, and ending September 30, 2011; and
(5)  4.7 percent for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2011, and all subsequent fiscal years.
(c)  Subject to Subsection (e) of this section, to be eligible for health benefits under Section 5.01 of this Act, a service retiree or disability retiree who retired or retires with less than 30 years of service, or the retiree's surviving spouse in the case of  a deceased retiree, shall continue to make monthly contributions in accordance with Subsection (d) of this section to the fund after the date of the retiree's retirement for the lesser of:
(1)  the period preceding the date the retiree becomes or would have become eligible for federal Medicare coverage; or
(2)  the period equal to 30 years less the retiree's years of service achieved on the date of the retiree's retirement.
(d)  The pension fund shall deduct the contribution required under Subsection (c) of this section from the monthly retirement benefit payment or death benefit payment paid to each retiree or retiree's spouse required to make the contributions, excluding payments made by the pension fund under Section 6.12 of the pension act.  The pension fund shall deduct an amount equal to the retiree contribution amount applicable to the fiscal year in which the benefit payment occurs.  The retiree contribution amount applicable to a fiscal year equals the amount obtained by:
(1)  multiplying the average member salary for the preceding fiscal year by a percentage equal to 100 percent plus the estimated percentage increase in the annual member payroll from the preceding fiscal year to the fiscal year as determined by the actuary;
(2)  multiplying the product computed under Subdivision (1) of this subsection by the percentage applicable to the fiscal year as provided by Subsection (b) of this section; and
(3)  dividing the product computed under Subdivision (2) of this subsection by 12.
(e)  A retiree who retired under the pension act as a result of a disability, or the disability retiree's surviving spouse in the case of a deceased disability retiree, is not required to make contributions under Subsection (c) of this section for more than 10 years following the date of the disability retiree's retirement.
(f)  This section applies only to members who retire as a service or disability retiree after October 1, 2007, and their surviving spouses.
(g)  The municipal contributions to and health benefits paid from the fund are a part of the compensation for services rendered to a municipality to which this Act applies.  This Act is considered part of the contract of employment and appointment of the firefighters and police officers of that municipality.