2023 Texas Statutes › Vernon's Civil Statutes › Title 109 - Pensions › Article 6243o. Police and Fire Fighter Retirement System in Municipalities of 750,000 to 1,000,000 › Article 3. General Powers and Duties of Board › Section 3.01. General Powers and Duties of Board

Sec. 3.01. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD.    (a)  The board has complete authority and power to:
(1)  administer the fund for the exclusive benefit of all members, retirees, and beneficiaries;
(2)  disburse benefits or otherwise order payments from the fund as required by this Act;
(3)  control the fund independently;
(4)  conduct all litigation on behalf of the fund; and
(5)  purchase with fund assets from one or more insurers licensed to do business in this state one or more insurance policies that provide for reimbursement of the fund and any trustee, officer, or employee of the board for liability imposed or damages because of an alleged act, error, or omission committed in the trustee's, officer's, or employee's capacity as a fiduciary officer or employee of the fund and for costs and expenses incurred as a trustee, officer, or employee in defense of a claim for an alleged act, error, or omission, as long as the insurance policy does not provide for reimbursement of a trustee, officer, or employee for liability imposed or expenses incurred because of the trustee's, officer's, or employee's personal dishonesty, fraud, lack of good faith, or intentional failure to act prudently.
(b) If the insurance coverage described by Subsection (a)(5) of this section is insufficient or is not in effect, the board may indemnify a person for liability, damages, and reasonable legal expenses that result from an alleged act, error, or omission occurring in the person's capacity as a trustee, officer, or employee of the fund without regard to the time of the occurrence of the allegation or whether the person continues to serve in that capacity.  The board may not indemnify an individual because of the individual's dishonesty, fraudulent act, lack of good faith, or intentional failure to act prudently.
(c) Indemnification under Subsection (b) of this section shall be determined by a majority vote of trustees who are not the subject of the indemnification.  The board may adopt a policy for the presentation, approval, and payment of indemnification claims covered under Subsection (b) of this section.
(d) The board shall adopt rules necessary for the board's effective operation, including rules relating to:
(1) the disbursement of the fund's assets;
(2) the designation of beneficiaries of the fund;  and
(3) the name of the board and the fund.
(e) The board shall report annually to the governing body of the municipality regarding the condition of the fund and the receipts and disbursements of the fund.
(f)  Attendance by any number of the trustees at a conference or gathering to research prospective investments or review current ones, to attend professional training, or otherwise attend to their fiduciary responsibilities, during which no formal discussion of public business takes place and no formal action is taken, is not a deliberation or meeting within the meaning of Chapter 551, Government Code, and is not required to be open to the public.
(g)  A trustee of the fund is immune from liability for an action or omission made by the trustee in the performance of the trustee's official duties for the fund that is made in good faith.
(h)  Records that are in the custody of the board concerning a member, former member, retiree, deceased retiree, beneficiary, or alternate payee are not public information under Chapter 552, Government Code, and may not be disclosed in a form identifiable to a specific individual unless:
(1)  the information is disclosed to:
(A)  the individual or the individual's attorney, guardian, executor, administrator, or conservator, or another person whom the executive director determines from written documentation to be acting in the interest of the individual or the individual's estate;
(B)  a spouse or former spouse of the individual, if the executive director determines that the information is relevant to the spouse's or former spouse's interest in a member's accounts or benefits or other amounts payable by the pension system;
(C)  a government official or employee  seeking the information in order to perform the duties of the official or employee; or
(D)  a person authorized by the individual in writing to receive the information; or
(2)  the information is disclosed under a subpoena and the executive director of the fund or the executive director's designee determines that the individual will have a reasonable opportunity to contest the subpoena.
(i)  Subsection (h) of this section does not prevent the disclosure of the status or identity of an individual as a member, former member, retiree, deceased member, deceased retiree, beneficiary, or alternate payee of the fund.
(j)  A determination and disclosure under Subsection (h) of this section does not require notice to the individual member, retiree, beneficiary, or alternate payee.