2023 Texas Statutes › Vernon's Civil Statutes › Title 109 - Pensions › Article 6243g-4. Police Officers Pension System in Certain Municipalities › Section 25. Federal Tax Qualification of Fund

Sec. 25. FEDERAL TAX QUALIFICATION OF FUND.    (a)  The fund described by this article is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the code and is for the exclusive benefit of the members and their survivors.  No part of the corpus or income of the fund may ever be used for, or diverted to, any purpose other than the benefit of members and their survivors as provided by this article.
(b)  A member or survivor of a member of the pension system may not accrue a retirement pension, disability retirement allowance, death benefit allowance, DROP benefit, or any other benefit under this article in excess of the benefit limits applicable to the fund under Section 415 of the code.  The board shall reduce the amount of any benefit that exceeds those limits by the amount of the excess.  If total benefits under this fund and the benefits and contributions to which any member is eligible under any other qualified plans maintained by the city that employs the member would otherwise exceed the applicable limits under Section 415 of the code, the benefits the member would otherwise receive from the fund shall be reduced to the extent necessary to enable the benefits to comply with Section 415.
(c)  Subject to Subsection (c-1) of this section, any distributee who receives an eligible rollover distribution is eligible to have that distribution transferred directly to another eligible retirement plan of the distributee's choice on providing direction to the pension system regarding that transfer in accordance with procedures established by the board.
(c-1)  For purposes of Subsection (c) of this section:
(1)  "Direct rollover" means a payment by the plan to the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.
(2)  "Distributee" means a member or a member's surviving spouse or non-spouse designated beneficiary or a member's spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse.
(3)  "Eligible retirement plan" means:
(A)  an individual retirement account as defined by Section 408(a) of the code;
(B)  an individual retirement annuity as defined by Section 408(b) of the code;
(C)  an annuity plan as described by Section 403(a) of the code;
(D)  an eligible deferred compensation plan as defined by Section 457(b) of the code that is maintained by an eligible employer as described by Section 457(e)(1)(A) of the code;
(E)  an annuity contract as described by Section 403(b) of the code;
(F)  a qualified trust as described by Section 401(a) of the code that accepts the distributee's eligible rollover distribution; and
(G)  in the case of an eligible rollover distribution, for a designated beneficiary that is not the surviving spouse, a spouse, or a former spouse who is an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, an eligible retirement plan means only an individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity that is established for the purpose of receiving the distribution on behalf of the beneficiary.
(4)  "Eligible rollover distribution" means any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover distribution does not include:
(A)  any distribution that is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, not less frequently than annually, made for life or life expectancy of the distributee or the joint lives or joint life expectancies of the distributee and the distributee's designated beneficiary or for a specified period of 10 years or more;
(B)  any distribution to the extent the distribution is required under Section 401(a)(9) of the code; or
(C)  any distribution that is made on hardship of the employee.
(d)  The annual compensation for each member taken into account for any purpose under this article may not exceed $200,000 for any year for an eligible participant, or for years beginning after 2001 for an ineligible participant, or $150,000 a year before 2001 for an ineligible participant.  These dollar limits shall be adjusted from time to time in accordance with guidelines provided by the United States secretary of the treasury and must comply with Section 401(a)(17) of the code.  For purposes of this subsection, an eligible participant is a person who first became an active member before 1996, and an ineligible participant is a member who is not an eligible participant.
(e) Accrued benefits under this article become 100 percent nonforfeitable for a member on the date the member has completed 10 years of service.  If the pension system or the fund is terminated or partially terminated, or city contributions to the fund are discontinued completely, there may not be a reversion of funds to the employer.  On complete or partial termination or discontinuance of city contributions, the fund held by the pension system shall be used exclusively for benefits for members and their surviving spouses and dependents, and the members' rights to the benefits, to the extent funded, shall be nonforfeitable if not already nonforfeitable under this subsection.
(f) Amounts representing forfeited nonvested benefits of terminated members may not be used to increase benefits payable from the fund.
(g)  Distribution of benefits must begin not later than April 1 of the year following the calendar year during which the member eligible for the benefits becomes 70-1/2 years of age or terminates employment with the employer, whichever is later, and must otherwise conform to Section 401(a)(9) of the code.
(h)  For purposes of adjusting any benefit due to the limitations prescribed by Section 415 of the code, the following provisions shall apply:
(1)  the 415(b) limitation with respect to any member who at any time has been a member in any other defined benefit plan as defined in Section 414(j) of the code maintained by the city shall apply as if the total benefits payable under all the defined benefit plans in which the member has been a member were payable from one plan; and
(2)  the 415(c) limitation with respect to any member who at any time has been a member in any other defined contribution plan as defined in Section 414(i) of the code maintained by the city shall apply as if the total annual additions under all such defined contribution plans in which the member has been a member were payable from one plan.
(h-1)  For purposes of adjusting any benefit due to the limitations prescribed by Section 415(b) of the code, the following provisions shall apply:
(1)  before January 1, 1995, a member may not receive an annual benefit that exceeds the limits specified in Section 415(b) of the code, subject to the applicable adjustments in that section;
(2)  on and after January 1, 1995, a member may not receive an annual benefit that exceeds the dollar amount specified in Section 415(b)(1)(A) of the code, subject to the applicable adjustments in Section 415(b) of the code and subject to any additional limits that may be specified in the pension system;
(3)  in no event may a member's annual benefit payable under the pension system, including any DROP benefits, in any limitation year be greater than the limit applicable at the annuity starting date, as increased in subsequent years pursuant to Section 415(d) of the code, including regulations adopted under that section; and
(4)  the "annual benefit" means a benefit payable annually in the form of a straight life annuity, with no ancillary benefits, without regard to the benefit attributable to any after-tax employee contributions, unless attributable under Section 415(n) of the code, and to rollover contributions as defined in Section 415(b)(2)(A) of the code.  For purposes of this subdivision, the "benefit attributable" shall be determined in accordance with applicable federal regulations.
(h-2)  For purposes of adjustments to the basic limitation under Section 415(b) of the code in the form of benefits, the following provisions apply:
(1)  if the benefit under the pension system is other than the form specified in Subsections (h-1)(1)-(3) of this section, including DROP benefits, the benefit shall be adjusted so that it is the equivalent of the annual benefit, using factors prescribed in applicable federal regulations; and
(2)  if the form of benefit without regard to the automatic benefit increase feature is not a straight life annuity or a qualified joint and survivor annuity, Subdivision (1) of this subsection is applied by either reducing the limit under Section 415(b) of the code applicable at the annuity starting date or adjusting the form of benefit to an actuarially equivalent amount determined by using the assumptions specified in Treasury Regulation Section 1.415(b)-1(c)(2)(ii) that takes into account the additional benefits under the form of benefit as follows:
(A)  for a benefit paid in a form to which Section 417(e)(3) of the code does not apply, the actuarially equivalent straight life annuity benefit that is the greater of:
(i)  the annual amount of the straight life annuity, if any, payable to the member under the pension system commencing at the same annuity starting date as the form of benefit to the member or the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the form of benefit payable to the member, computed using a five percent interest assumption or the applicable statutory interest assumption; and
(ii)  for years prior to January 1, 2009, the applicable mortality tables described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.417(e)-1(d)(2), and for years after December 31, 2008, the applicable mortality tables described in Section 417(e)(3)(B) of the code; or
(B)  for a benefit paid in a form to which Section 417(e)(3) of the code applies, the actuarially equivalent straight life annuity benefit that is the greatest of:
(i)  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the particular form of benefit payable, computed using the interest rate and mortality table, or tabular factor, specified in the plan for actuarial experience;
(ii)  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the particular form of benefit payable, computed using a 5.5 percent interest assumption or the applicable statutory interest assumption, and for years prior to January 1, 2009, the applicable mortality tables for the distribution under Treasury Regulation Section 1.417(e)-1(d)(2), and for years after December 31, 2008, the applicable mortality tables described in Section 417(e)(3)(B) of the code; or
(iii)  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the particular form of benefit payable computed using the applicable interest rate for the distribution under Treasury Regulation Section 1.417(e)-1(d)(3) using the rate in effect for the month prior to retirement before January 1, 2017, and using the rate in effect for the first day of the plan year with a one-year stabilization period on and after January 1, 2017, and for years prior to January 1, 2009, the applicable mortality tables for the distribution under Treasury Regulation Section 1.417(e)-1(d)(2), and for years after December 31, 2008, the applicable mortality tables described in Section 417(e)(3)(B) of the code, divided by 1.05.
(h-3)  The pension system actuary may adjust the limitation under Section 415(b) of the code at the annuity starting date in accordance with Subsections (h-1) and (h-2) of this section.
(h-4)  The following are benefits for which no adjustment of the limitation in Section 415(b) of the code is required:
(1)  any ancillary benefit that is not directly related to retirement income benefits;
(2)  the portion of any joint and survivor annuity that constitutes a qualified joint and survivor annuity; and
(3)  any other benefit not required under Section 415(b)(2) of the code and regulations adopted under that section to be taken into account for purposes of the limitation of Section 415(b)(1) of the code.
(h-5)  The following provisions apply to other adjustments of the limitation under Section 415(b) of the code:
(1)  in the event the member's pension benefits become payable before the member attains 62 years of age, the limit prescribed by this section shall be reduced in accordance with federal regulations adopted under Section 415(b) of the code, so that that limit, as reduced, equals an annual straight life annuity benefit when the retirement income benefit begins, that is equivalent to a $160,000, as adjusted, annual benefit beginning at 62 years of age;
(2)  in the event the member's benefit is based on at least 15 years of service as a full-time employee of any police or fire department or on 15 years of military service, in accordance with Sections 415(b)(2)(G) and (H) of the code, the adjustments provided for in Subdivision (1) of this section may not apply; and
(3)  in accordance with Section 415(b)(2)(I) of the code, the reductions provided for in Subdivision (1) of this section may not be applicable to preretirement disability benefits or preretirement death benefits.
(h-6)  The following provisions of this subsection govern adjustment of the defined benefit dollar limitation for benefits commenced after 65 years of age:
(1)  if the annuity starting date for the member's benefit is after 65 years of age and the pension system does not have an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both 65 years of age and the age of benefit commencement, the defined benefit dollar limitation at the member's annuity starting date is the annual amount of a benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity commencing at the member's annuity starting date that is the actuarial equivalent of the defined benefit dollar limitation, with actuarial equivalence computed using a five percent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table for that annuity starting date as defined in Section 417(e)(3)(B) of the code, expressing the member's age based on completed calendar months as of the annuity starting date;
(2)  if the annuity starting date for the member's benefit is after age 65, and the pension system has an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both 65 years of age and the age of benefit commencement, the defined benefit dollar limitation at the member's annuity starting date is the lesser of the limitation determined under Subdivision (1) of this section and the defined benefit dollar limitation multiplied by the ratio of the annual amount of the adjusted immediately commencing straight life annuity under the pension system at the member's annuity starting date to the annual amount of the adjusted immediately commencing straight life annuity under the pension system at 65 years of age, both determined without applying the limitations of this subsection; and
(3)  notwithstanding the other requirements of this section:
(A)  no adjustment shall be made to reflect the probability of a member's death between the annuity starting date and 62 years of age, or between 65 years of age and the annuity starting date, as applicable, if benefits are not forfeited on the death of the member prior to the annuity starting date; and
(B)  to the extent benefits are forfeited on death before the annuity starting date, the adjustment shall be made, and for this purpose no forfeiture shall be treated as occurring on the member's death if the pension system does not charge members for providing a qualified preretirement survivor annuity, as defined in Section 417(c) of the code, on the member's death.
(h-7)  For the purpose of Subsection (h-6)(2) of this section, the adjusted immediately commencing straight life annuity under the pension system at the member's annuity starting date is the annual amount of such annuity payable to the member, computed disregarding the member's accruals after 65 years of age but including actuarial adjustments even if those actuarial adjustments are used to offset accruals, and the adjusted immediately commencing straight life annuity under the pension system at 65 years of age is the annual amount of the annuity that would be payable under the pension system to a hypothetical member who is 65 years of age and has the same accrued benefit as the member.
(h-8)  The maximum pension benefits payable to any member who has completed less than 10 years of participation shall be the amount determined under Subsection (h-1) of this section, as adjusted under Subsection (h-2) or (h-5) of this section, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of the member's years of participation and the denominator of which is 10.  The limit under Subsection (h-9) of this section concerning the $10,000 limit shall be similarly reduced for any member who has accrued less than 10 years of service, except the fraction shall be determined with respect to years of service instead of years of participation.  The reduction provided by this subsection cannot reduce the maximum benefit below 10 percent of the limit determined without regard to this subsection.  The reduction provided for in this subsection may not be applicable to preretirement disability benefits or preretirement death benefits.
(h-9)  Notwithstanding Subsection (h-8) of this section, the pension benefit payable with respect to a member shall be deemed not to exceed the limit provided by Section 415 of the code if the benefits payable, with respect to such member under this pension system and under all other qualified defined benefit pension plans to which the city contributes, do not exceed $10,000 for the applicable limitation year and for any prior limitation year and the city has not at any time maintained a qualified defined contribution plan in which the member participated.
(h-10)  On and after January 1, 1995, for purposes of applying the limits under Section 415(b) of the code to a member's benefit paid in a form to which Section 417(e)(3) of the code does not apply, the following provisions apply:
(1)  a member's applicable limit shall be applied to the member's annual benefit in the member's first limitation year without regard to any cost-of-living adjustments under Section 12 of this article;
(2)  to the extent that the member's annual benefit equals or exceeds the limit, the member shall no longer be eligible for cost-of-living increases until such time as the benefit plus the accumulated increases are less than the limit; and
(3)  after the time prescribed by Subdivision (2) of this subsection, in any subsequent limitation year, a member's annual benefit, including any cost-of-living increases under Section 12 of this article, shall be tested under the applicable benefit limit, including any adjustment under Section 415(d) of the code to the dollar limit under Section 415(b)(1)(A) of the code, and the regulations under those sections.
(h-11)  Any repayment of contributions, including interest on contributions, to the plan with respect to an amount previously refunded on a forfeiture of service credit under the plan or another governmental plan maintained by the pension system may not be taken into account for purposes of Section 415 of the code, in accordance with applicable federal regulations.
(h-12)  Reduction of benefits or contributions to all plans, where required, shall be accomplished by:
(1)  first, reducing the member's benefit under any defined benefit plans in which the member participated, with the reduction to be made first with respect to the plan in which the member most recently accrued benefits and then in the priority determined by the pension system and the plan administrator of such other plans; and
(2)  next, reducing or allocating excess forfeitures for defined contribution plans in which the member participated, with the reduction to be made first with respect to the plan in which the member most recently accrued benefits and then in the priority determined by the pension system and the plan administrator for such other plans.
(h-13)  Notwithstanding Subsection (h-12) of this section, reductions may be made in a different manner and priority pursuant to the agreement of the pension system and the plan administrator of all other plans covering such member.
(i) To the extent permitted by law, the board may adjust the benefits of retired members and survivors by increasing any benefit that was reduced because of Section 415 of the code.  If Section 415 of the code is amended to permit the payment of amounts previously precluded under that section, the board may adjust the benefits of retired members or their surviving spouses or dependents, including the restoration of benefits previously denied.  Benefits paid under this subsection are not considered as extra base salary earned after retirement but as the delayed payment of benefits earned before retirement.
(j) The board may make any change in this article to the extent that the change is necessary to assure compliance with the qualification requirements of Section 401 of the code or any other federal law.