TITLE 34. PUBLIC FINANCE

PART 5. TEXAS COUNTY AND DISTRICT RETIREMENT SYSTEM

CHAPTER 103. CALCULATIONS OR TYPES OF BENEFITS

34 TAC §103.5

The Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS) adopts an amendment to §103.5, concerning compliance by governmental plans with the benefit distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. This amendment is adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the May 22, 2009, issue of the Texas Register (34 TexReg 3242). The adopted amendment tracks new IRS regulations applicable to governmental plans such as TCDRS recognizing compliance with §401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code by distributing benefits under a reasonable, good-faith interpretation of that section.

No comments were received regarding the adoption of this amendment.

The amendment is adopted under the Government Code, §845.102, which provides the board of trustees with the authority to adopt rules necessary or desirable for efficient administration of the system.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 1, 2009.

TRD-200902723

Gene Glass

Director

Texas County and District Retirement System

Effective date: July 21, 2009

Proposal publication date: May 22, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 637-3230


CHAPTER 107. MISCELLANEOUS RULES

34 TAC §107.3

The Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS) adopts an amendment to §107.3, concerning direct rollovers and trustee-to-trustee transfers of single sum benefit distributions to members, surviving spouses, alternate payees, and beneficiaries. This amended rule is adopted with changes to the proposed text as published in the May 22, 2009, issue of the Texas Register (34 TexReg 3243). The change is in subsection (d), changing the wording from §402(e)(11) to §402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code. The amendment incorporates the recommended language of the IRS reflecting the options available to distributees under the Internal Revenue Code for deferring taxes on these single sum distributions by electing a direct transfer to an eligible plan. The amendment makes no changes to the amount of benefits distributed.

No comments were received regarding the adoption of this amendment.

The amendment is adopted under the Government Code, §845.102, which provides the board of trustees with the authority to adopt rules necessary or desirable for efficient administration of the system.

§107.3.Direct Rollovers and Trustee-to-Trustee Transfers.

(a) The retirement system may establish procedures for the acceptance of an eligible rollover distribution, including a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer, from an eligible retirement plan for the payment of any portion of the deposit a member is permitted to make for the purchase of types of credit in the retirement system, except that the system may not accept the distribution if the system is to separately account for the amounts.

(b) Effective January 1, 1993, a distributee may elect, at the time and in the manner prescribed by the system, to have any portion of an eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee in a direct rollover.

(c) Definitions:

(1) Eligible Rollover Distribution--An eligible rollover distribution is 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 the 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 such distribution is required under §401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and

(C) the portion of any distribution that is not includable in gross income.

(2) Eligible Retirement Plan--An eligible retirement plan is:

(A) an individual retirement account described in §408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(B) an individual retirement annuity described in §408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(C) a qualified trust described in §401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or an annuity plan described in §403(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that accepts the eligible rollover distribution;

(D) for distribution made on or after December 31, 2001, an annuity contract described in §403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(E) for distributions made on or after December 31, 2001, an eligible plan under §457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which is maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state which agrees to separately account for amounts transferred into such plan from this system; and

(F) for distributions made on or after December 31, 2007, a Roth IRA described in §408A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(3) Distributee--A distributee includes a member or former member. In addition, the member's or former member's surviving spouse and the member's or former member's spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a domestic relations order, as defined in §109.2 of this title (relating to Definitions), are distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse.

(4) Direct Rollover--A direct rollover is a payment by the system to the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.

(d) The system shall, upon the request of a beneficiary of a deceased member who is not a distributee, within the meaning of subsection (c)(3) of this section, transfer a lump sum distribution to the trustee of an individual retirement account established under §408 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in accordance with the provisions of §402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, a distribution shall not fail to be an eligible rollover distribution merely because a portion of the distribution consists of after-tax contributions which are not includible in gross income. However, such portion may be paid only to an individual retirement account or annuity described in Internal Revenue Code §408(a) or (b), or to a qualified defined contribution plan described in Internal Revenue Code §401(a) or §403(a) that agrees to separately account for amounts so transferred, including separate accounting for the portion of such distribution which is includible in gross income and the portion of such distribution which is not so includible.

(f) The retirement system shall implement this section in a manner that causes the retirement system to be considered a qualified plan under §401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It is the responsibility of the distributee or beneficiary to determine that the transferee plan is an eligible plan for receiving a transfer pursuant to this rule.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 1, 2009.

TRD-200902725

Gene Glass

Director

Texas County and District Retirement System

Effective date: July 21, 2009

Proposal publication date: May 22, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 637-3230


34 TAC §107.16

The Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS) adopts new §107.16, concerning the holding and managing of trust assets for the exclusive benefit of participants and their beneficiaries. This new rule is adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the May 22, 2009, issue of the Texas Register (34 TexReg 3244). The adopted rule expands on the language contained in the TCDRS Act by setting forth the requirement for qualification in its particulars and describing the limitations on the use of plan assets for anything other than the exclusive benefit of the participants and their beneficiaries. The adopted rule states in detailed language the absolute prohibition against the diversion of trust assets in violation of the qualification requirement.

No comments were received regarding the adoption of this new rule.

The new rule is adopted under the Government Code, §845.102, which provides the board of trustees with the authority to adopt rules necessary or desirable for efficient administration of the system.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 1, 2009.

TRD-200902724

Gene Glass

Director

Texas County and District Retirement System

Effective date: July 21, 2009

Proposal publication date: May 22, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 637-3230


CHAPTER 109. DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDERS

34 TAC §109.12

The Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS) adopts an amendment to §109.12, concerning the form of distribution to the alternate payee of a benefit awarded under a Domestic Relations Order qualified by TCDRS. The amendment is adopted without changes to the proposed text as published in the May 22, 2009, issue of the Texas Register (34 TexReg 3244).

The amendment changes the amount payable as a lump sum in lieu of an annuity to the alternate payee from $15,000 to $25,000.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the amendment.

The amendment is adopted under the Government Code, §845.102, which provides the board of trustees with the authority to adopt rules necessary or desirable for efficient administration of the system.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 1, 2009.

TRD-200902726

Gene Glass

Director

Texas County and District Retirement System

Effective date: July 21, 2009

Proposal publication date: May 22, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 637-3230


PART 11. OFFICE OF THE FIRE FIGHTERS' PENSION COMMISSIONER

CHAPTER 302. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE TEXAS EMERGENCY SERVICES RETIREMENT SYSTEM

34 TAC §302.2

The State Board of Trustees of the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System (System) certifies that it adopted, without changes, amended 34 TAC §302.2, regarding minimum and maximum benefit distributions, at a formal meeting on May 28, 2009, after the proposal had been published in the Texas Register on January 30, 2009 (34 TexReg 524). The amended rule as adopted is the version previously published in the Texas Register.

The amended rule provides that benefit distributions from the System must comply with specific requirements of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and related regulations of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

No comments on the proposed rule were received.

The amended rule is adopted under the statutory authority of Title 8, Government Code, Subtitle H, Texas Emergency Services Retirement System, §861.006.

No other statutes, articles, or codes are affected by the adoption of the amended rule.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 1, 2009.

TRD-200902728

Kevin Heyburn

Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Fire Fighters' Pension Commissioner

Effective date: July 21, 2009

Proposal publication date: January 30, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 463-9935