Sec. 844.703. SUBDIVISION CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) Each participating subdivision adopting the plan provisions of this subchapter shall pay to the subdivision accumulation fund as its normal contribution an amount equal to a percentage of the compensation of members employed by the subdivision for that month. The rate of contribution is the normal contribution rate determined annually by the actuary and approved by the board of trustees.

(b) Each subdivision adopting the plan provisions of this subchapter shall pay to the subdivision accumulation fund, as its prior service contribution, an amount equal to a percentage of the compensation of members employed by the subdivision for that month. The rate of contribution is the rate determined annually by the actuary and approved by the board of trustees as being the rate required to fund all unfunded obligations charged against the subdivision's account in the subdivision accumulation fund within the subdivision's amortization period without probable future depletion of that account or, if there are no unfunded obligations, the rate required to amortize any overfunded obligations within a period of 30 years.

(c) The combined rates of a subdivision's normal contributions and prior service contributions under this subchapter may not exceed 11 percent unless the governing body of the subdivision elects to waive this limitation. A waiver under this subsection becomes effective on January 1 of the year after the year in which it is adopted and remains effective until January 1 of the year following a repeal of the waiver by the subdivision's governing body.

(d) The actuary annually shall determine the subdivision normal contribution rate and the prior service contribution rate for subdivisions adopting the plan provisions of this subchapter from the most recent data available at the time of determination. Before January 1 of each year, the board of trustees shall certify the rates of each subdivision that has adopted the plan provisions of this subchapter. If the combined rates of the subdivision's normal contributions and prior service contributions under this subchapter exceed the rate prescribed by Subsection (c), and if the governing body of the subdivision has not waived that maximum rate, the rate for prior service contributions must be reduced to the rate that equals the difference between the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c) and the normal contribution rate. The governing body may elect to contribute at a rate that is greater than the sum of the subdivision's normal contribution rate and prior service contribution rate as determined under Subsections (a) and (b). An elected rate may not exceed the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c), unless the governing body has elected to waive that maximum rate. An elected rate remains in effect for each subsequent calendar year until it is rescinded by the governing body. For years in which the sum of the rates determined under Subsections (a) and (b) exceeds the elected rate, the governing body must contribute the sum of the rates determined under Subsections (a) and (b). For years in which the elected rate exceeds the sum of the rates determined under Subsections (a) and (b), the prior service contribution rate is increased to the rate that equals the difference between the elected rate and the normal contribution rate prescribed by Subsection (a).

(e) In addition to the normal contributions and prior service contributions under this subchapter, the subdivision shall make the picked-up employee contributions provided by Section 845.403(i), and those contributions, along with optional group term life contributions, are not subject to the maximum subdivision contribution rates prescribed by Subsection (c).

(f) The prior service contribution rate prescribed by Subsection (b) must be based on an open or closed amortization period as recommended by the actuary and adopted by the board of trustees but may not exceed 30 years. The board of trustees may establish criteria for the circumstances under which a subdivision's amortization period, if closed, will be renewed, extended, or shortened.

(g) If the combined rates of the subdivision's normal contributions and prior service contributions under this subchapter exceed the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c) before the adjustment prescribed by Subsection (d), and if the governing body of the subdivision has not waived that maximum rate, the actuary shall determine what lower percentage for determining multiple matching credits of future member contributions is necessary to make the combined rates of the subdivision not exceed the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c). The actuary shall give written notice of the determination to the director, who shall give written notice to the governing body of the subdivision. The lower percentage determined by the actuary and specified in the notice to the governing body becomes effective as to all members who perform current service for the affected subdivision on or after the first day of the first calendar year that begins after the date of the notice, unless before the effective date, the governing body of the subdivision adopts an order or resolution, approved by the board of trustees, authorizing a reduction in the percentage used in determining multiple matching credits in accordance with Section 844.704(a) or authorizing a reduction in the rate of member contributions in accordance with Section 844.702, or authorizing both a reduction in the percentage used in determining multiple matching credits and a reduction in the rate of member contributions.

(h) If the combined rates of the subdivision's normal contributions and prior service contributions under this subchapter exceed the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c), and if the governing body of the subdivision has not waived that maximum rate, and if all reductions under Subsection (g), in the opinion of the actuary, result in the combined rates of the subdivision remaining in excess of the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c), the retirement system shall reduce the rate of member contributions to a lower rate authorized by Section 844.702 that, in the opinion of the actuary, is required to produce a combined rate that does not exceed the rate prescribed by Subsection (c). At the time the actuary determines that the rate of employee contributions that was in existence before a reduction under this subsection no longer would result in a combined rate in excess of the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection (c), the retirement system shall reinstate the employee contribution to the rate that was in effect at the time of the reduction, unless the governing body of the subdivision has elected to change to some other rate authorized by Section 844.702(a). Any change under this section shall be made on January 1 of the year following the applicable determination by the actuary. During the time that the member contribution rate is reduced, the combined rates of the subdivision's normal contributions and prior service contributions shall be equal to the maximum rate prescribed by Subsection 844.703(c).

(i) Notwithstanding any provision in this section to the contrary and if approved by the board of trustees, a participating subdivision that has experienced or is anticipating circumstances that cause employer contributions based on covered payroll to be an unreasonable method of funding shall contribute in an actuarially approved method that is reasonable to regularly and consistently fund all of its pension liabilities in the retirement system.

Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 460, Sec. 21, eff. Jan. 1, 1992. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 175, Sec. 17, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 245, Sec. 30, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 309, Sec. 17, eff. Dec. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 427, Sec. 46, eff. Dec. 31, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 122, Sec. 44, eff. Dec. 31, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 506 (H.B. 633), Sec. 21, eff. January 1, 2006.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 873 (H.B. 1587), Sec. 63, eff. January 1, 2008.