OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF T’EXAS
AUSTIN
Xonorable H., 3. Satterfield
Firemen’8 Benefit Commlosibner
Austin, ¶!exaa .
We are pleased G
reading a8 rouoras:
ber OP a regularly organized fire ~departnent ior more
than twenty years, but who ie not fifty-rlve years of
age receive the beneiita grwided therein?
"3. Xay a person who has attained the age
of rirty-rive but has not served aotlvely ror
. .
Hon. H.’ B. Sa’ttex+ield, Paae 2
a pklod’or twenty years in come regularly
organized rlrs departi!mnt rooelve the benefita
thereunder?
“4. May s~p&c& who has earned a por-
tion ot the twenty year period in a regularly
organl%ed .ilre department or oae :olty anb who
has then moved .to’another town and haa served
sturi0irnt pour thorcr to make,‘a tot41 ‘of tvifa-
~ tg year? resaloe the bensilts~proolded thereln?
. .-: .*
.“5. &w many ‘&embers of a regularlporg~- / i
iced l!iJ% depart-H mU$t pualitp under aha
prOVleions~oi aal,d bill in order for any Member
to partloip,ete la the beneilt~ provided by s+id .,I
laws” ,.i I
Seotlon 6, of Rouse’Blll No. ZiE!&ts of ths :,
Forty-riith Lsglolature (Artlols M%ge,‘~V.A,C.S;), reads as ,, :,:‘
,,., ,,
r0ii08at
‘“On tind attar the 1st’ day Ott April, i.iL 1
1939, any poreoh who haa been duly appolhted
end enrolled; and who has attained the age OS
fifty-five (35) ye8rs and who haa~senad.+otivb-
ly for a period of twonty (20) years In soaa
regularly organl%ed’fire department in any city
or towa $83thl8 Stat&now within or that may ,
0~ll6within ths PPOVI~~~OIU~0r thit3 m, itt w *
rank, whether as wholly paid, part paid! or volun-
teer rlrenmn hall be entitled to be retired from’
euoh servlos or department and shall be entitled
to be paid from the.Flrements Relior and Retlre-
ment Fund 0r that alty oztown, a monthly pent3Zon
equal to one-half of his everage oronthly salary
not to exceed u mexlmumor’,One Runared Dollar8
,(@OO) ger month. Such average monthly salary
to be baaed on the monthly average oT hia aslary
ror the rive ISI year period preceding the date
or suoh retIrementI provided rusther, that.lf
his averaqa monthly salary is iT%‘iityDollars ($50)
or lees per month or ir a volunteer firemen with
no salary. he shall be entitled ~to a monthly
pen&ii & retlZement ~allowanos or twenty-rite
Dollars (3E3) .”
~ The oonditiomthus inposed, regardIn@ sli~$billty
ioc retireaent boner:ts, rsquin that a psreon b@ *duly
appointed and enrolled*; he au& here attnlned the ego OS
rirtpriye yearsi he mast have 6OrYed aotlrsly ior a mln-
imm period or twentyyears; and the'smrtlor mwt have been
In som rogululy orgunlxad firm department rlthla the pro-
Vii3iO5R Ol ths AOL i;roh ok these OOndftioPr~6iWbt exist.
ft la our opinloa; la amnr to your rht question,
that a person muat be a member or 6 tire doportmeat at the
tipe be reaohea the age of tlfty-fin yearn to be eligible
to rearlvu the barits pro~iasd in s0otioa 6 nottithataaui4
the requirement of twenty yearta at aerolaa may bars ken
mrilled tiwetorore. Witness the uxagwga or seotion b
Wmll be ohtitled to be rotlred*, obviosmly ix~plylng
amtbernbip at euoh %ir. iv8 oonatFuethe twsnty yuarr or
servici3 oonditi~n an a mlnlmm ?OQU.iMHlAt, the abrtenao or
which will render a person lnollglb1e upon hio attaining the
age or rifty-rivrr years utatl1 suoh tline ae th8 twoaty yearn
CP Sc3FYiCO haB bWJA OCS&'latsd.
Your.second nnd third questions~ere anewerod In
the ne(jativu. - It 14 cleusly W&red that a Qersarr shall
have both reaohed the~68;* ot rirty-rive years aad 'served
ror a xnirilmm perlokor twentr yemra~.&~~Zori.belu&oliglbla
ror the bmmrlta provided in tJm 1~': 1.: 1:'
Xt %P~CI~UPo&ton that raur rotrcth ~qu~~stlonrhould
also be tmmmred in the ns%a’tlwt. xota the terminology or
s8otion 6, rel~etlngoaly to reClrbMlot bwritt3, xv1t.hera-
phaeia a&dad%
* mp perman who harr beon dtilg ap-
polntei &i enrolled, a&d who haB attalaea the
aae . . . and I&O hos Sbrr6d aetiYslp lOP a
period or twuntr (20) years in e . . . ilM
departnsnt ,in any olty or tom . e . &all be
entitled to be retlrud Fcos g&& . . . dcpaFt-
mnt and shall be entitlab to be paid Irem the
P1rtYBent8Raliot aad R43tImeent Fun6 or &f&
oity or town . . .*
tliewin~ the Aat aat a whole in the lnethod provided
rcr the establi&hfmt and rarpleniohment or the fund of ea*
,
‘\
23. \,,\,,
Hon. H. 8. ktterrield, Pa@ 4
oity or tom, and obeorving the sbrenoe 0r anr prmhlon
for the transfer of any fnads fresone oity or town to
aaotkar tnoleant to the ohiwq or mi%ubs?ship or a firs-
xian rrom tbo bepartaent or one oity or torn to that of
another, we are ooaatninsd to hold that a8 to rqtlroment
banerite the requldto tmfntp yew8 or sontoo mud ba in
onu fire d*partmeat.
Ip aaawer to pxcr rl@?, cpwtloa, it la observed
that there 1s PO re@fremont is 8. 8. 256 rep+rdln(g the
number or aedmrs of e firs depa&taent r&lob auat qaalify
brfors sny msbor may partioipeta in ttm bsneilto prorid@&
therein. Weberr or II rfm dspfmtment eltaot~ng not to
qualify siBply do not gutfoipate und imi not liable ror
any ealery doduotfons or paymat otherwIse rsqalred under
Cieotion 10 or the Aot. Other zmmbers oi the rlre dspartsmnt
are not ~p~nbalizoa therefor.
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