HB 245 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the treatment of military service credit in the Employees Retirement System of Texas as law enforcement or custodial officer service.

HB 245 allows military service to count toward retirement credit in Texas' state Employees Retirement System when that service is treated as law enforcement or custodial officer service. It affects Texas state employees who served in the military and later work as law enforcement or custodial officers, enabling them to include their military service in their retirement calculations. The bill requires that the employee wasn't previously enrolled in the retirement system before their military service, or their job immediately before military service was in a qualifying position. It also mandates that their first post-military employment must be in a role that qualifies for such credit. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 27, 2025 Last action May 5, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 5 edits · May 2, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas law to clarify how military service credit is treated in the Employees Retirement System, specifically adding a new section to the Government Code that establishes eligibility criteria and contribution requirements for members seeking credit for military service as law enforcement or custodial officers. The changes include new eligibility conditions, revised contribution payment structures, and an effective date of September 1, 2025.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope by adding new provisions for military service credit eligibility and contribution requirements that were previously not explicitly defined in the same manner.
ELIGIBILITY

Added new Section 813.3035 to Government Code establishing specific eligibility criteria for military service credit as law enforcement or custodial officer service, including requirements about prior retirement system membership and employment positions.

Added Section 820.023 to Government Code defining eligibility for military service credit, including conditions about federal retirement payments and honorable release from military duty.

FISCAL

Modified Section 813.505(b) to establish contribution payment requirements for members claiming military service credit, with different contribution amounts for general service credit versus law enforcement or custodial officer service credit.

TIMELINE

Added effective date of September 1, 2025 for the new provisions, and clarified that changes apply only to military service credit established on or after the effective date.

SCOPE

Added the Tom Garey Act designation to identify the legislation.

Floor votes · House May 2, 2025

How they voted

1320
Passed · 12 other
Total votes 144
May 2, 2025
D Democratic57
51 Yea 6
89% Yea
R Republican87
81 Yea 6
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
30
Key actions
10
Committee
7
Amendments
4
May 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Finance
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed as amended
lower
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 2, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (132-0-12)
house
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Apr 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Feb 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
lower
Feb 27, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson
RRepublican
TX
20