The Proportionate Retirement Program (PRP) allows participating Texas retirement systems to recognize service credit from other participating Texas retirement systems for the purpose of achieving eligibility. A member with service credit in more than one participating retirement system may be eligible to combine that service to satisfy the length of service requirements used to determine eligibility for service retirement. Please see the list below of Participating Proportionate Systems as listed in state law:
- City of Austin Employees’ Retirement System (COAERS)
- The El Paso City Employees’ Pension Fund
- El Paso Firemen and Policemen’s Pension Fund
- Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
- Judicial Retirement System of Texas I & II
- Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
- Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS)
- Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS)
- Other Texas retirement systems covering municipal employees who have qualified plans and have elected to participate in the Proportionate Retirement Program, including the Austin Police Retirement System (APRS)
Please note that under Texas Government Code Chapter 803, TMRS and TCDRS are not required to recognize service with APRS. Members are strongly encouraged to contact the system where they previously held membership to determine the eligibility requirements for re-establishing service credit and/or continuing membership. A member should confirm their proportionate retirement eligibility before withdrawing funds from any of these systems.
Key Takeaways:
- Eligibility Only: Proportionate service helps meet retirement eligibility, but does not increase pension benefits.
- Permissive Service: Active members may combine proportionate service to reach 20 years of creditable service and purchase additional permissive service to become eligible to retire.
- Fund Retention: Proportionate service is subject to re-verification at the time of retirement. Funds must remain in the account at the participating proportionate system(s) (except TMRS and TCDRS) for that service time to count toward APRS retirement eligibility.
- Separate Payments: Retirement benefits will be paid separately from each system, based only on the service performed in that system.
- Re-establishing Service: A member of a participating retirement system who forfeited membership service by withdrawing their funds may re-establish credit for service earned in another participating proportionate retirement system
- Military Service: Military service purchases for a specific time period may only be used once in determining the amount of the member’s combined service credit under the proportionate program. Members are not allowed by law to purchase military service for the same time period in more than one retirement system.