Texas House passes bill authored by Rep. Bucy amending municipal firefighters’ retirement systems

Passed bill authored by State Rep. John Bucy III aims to revise public retirement system rules for municipal firefighters, including updated actuarial processes, board composition, and contribution structures to enhance fund sustainability, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 54 Democrats and 80 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

John Bucy III introduced the bill in the Texas House on Thursday, Feb. 13, during the 89th regular legislative session.

IIII graduated from Austin College in 2006 with a BA.

IIII, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 136th House district, replacing previous state representative Tony Dale.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the administration of, contributions to, and benefits under retirement systems for firefighters in certain municipalities’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends provisions relating to public retirement systems for employees of certain municipalities in Texas, specifically targeting municipal firefighters’ relief and retirement funds. It revises definitions and outlines specific actuarial processes, including risk-sharing valuation studies that municipalities must use starting in 2026 to determine contributions and other financial metrics. The bill specifies composition changes for the board of trustees managing these funds and mandates experience studies of actuarial assumptions every five years. It introduces changes to the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) for participating firefighters, outlining specific contribution rates, retirement benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, and DROP account management practices. It establishes two groups, Group A and Group B, based on hire date, and details distinct contribution rates and benefits for each. Additionally, it adjusts mechanisms for contributions, both employee and employer, to ensure sustainability of the pension funds and clear actuarial principles for financial transparency. The bill will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (Republican – District 98) and Rep. Donna Howard (Democrat – District 48).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 23, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.