The 86th Texas Legislature is now complete. Following is a list of passed bills that could affect benefits programs administered by ERS. Learn more about ERS’ activity during session and the new laws with the greatest impact on ERS members. 

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Legislation Affecting the Employees Retirement System of Texas
86th Texas Legislature, Regular Session

Legislation Affecting the Employees Retirement System of Texas, 86th Texas Legislature, Regular Session

Bill	Author	Summary	Effective Date
RETIREMENT
Retirement - Employee Class
HB 3522	Murphy	Permits the assignment of ERS death benefits to funeral home directors.	Applies to benefits payable on or after January 1, 2020
SB 1570	Flores	Prevents certain corrections officers from receiving a pension if they are convicted of a felony.	Applies to offenses committed on or after June 10, 2019
Retirement - JRS Plan 1 and Plan 2
HB 2384	Leach	Judicial pay raises.	September 1, 2019
Retirement - Law Enforcement and Custodial Officer Supplemental Retirement Fund (LECOSRF)
SB 346	Zaffirini	Amends the collection of state criminal court costs, including the costs allocated to LECOSRF.	January 1, 2020
CHAPTER 615 (Survivor benefits for officers killed in the line of duty)
HB 872	Hefner	Adds jailers, county jailers, and guards to the officers eligible for certain Chapter 615 benefits and expands responsibility of employer to notify ERS of certain line of duty deaths.	September 1, 2019
HB 3635	Turner	Adjusts Chapter 615 benefit annually based on CPI-U	September 1, 2019
INSURANCE
Insurance - Coverages
HB 170	Bernal	Requires the GBP to cover diagnostic mammography in the same manner as screening mammography.	Effective September 1, 2020
Insurance - Pharmacy
HB 1584	Thompson	Requires the GBP to cover certain prescription drugs for stage-four advanced, metastatic cancer.	September 1, 2019
Insurance - Other
HB 392	Blanco	Amends Chapter 1552, Insurance Code, to allow ERS to provide long-term care insurance that is not group insurance.	September 1, 2019
SB 22	Campbell	Prohibits transactions between a governmental entity and an abortion provider or affiliate.	September 1, 2019
HB 2894	Collier	Amends Penal Code criminal offense of health care fraud.	Applies to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2019
SB 1264	Hancock	Provides for arbitration of certain out-of-network claims	Applies to health care or medical services provided on or after January 1, 2020
OPEN RECORDS
SB 943	Watson	Amends the disclosure requirements for certain governmental contracts under the Public Information Act.	January 1, 2020
INVESTMENTS
SB 322	Huffman	Requires retirement systems to select a firm to regularly assess the retirement system's investment practices and performance.	June 10, 2019
HB 793	King	Exempts certain small business contracts from the requirement that the contractor certifies that it does not boycott Israel	May 7, 2019
FUNDING
SB 500	Nelson	Supplemental Appropriations bill.	June 6, 2019
SB2224	Huffman	Requires public retirement systems, including ERS, to adopt a funding policy	September 1, 2019