(a) Except as provided by Subsections (a-1) and (a-2), a member is eligible to retire and receive a standard service retirement annuity if:
(1) the member is at least 65 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system;
(2) the member is at least 60 years old and has at least 20 years of service credit in the retirement system;
(3) the member is at least 50 years old and has at least 30 years of service credit in the retirement system; or
(4) the member has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system and the sum of the member’s age and amount of service credit in the retirement system equals the number 80.
(a-1) This subsection applies only to a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2007, and who is not subject to Subsection (a-2). A member subject to this subsection is eligible to retire and receive a standard service retirement annuity if:
(1) the member is at least 65 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system; or
(2) the member is at least 60 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system and the sum of the member’s age and amount of service credit in the retirement system equals the number 80.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Texas Government Code 824.202

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(a-2) This subsection applies only to a person who does not have at least five years of service credit in the retirement system on or before August 31, 2014, or who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2014. A member subject to this subsection is eligible to retire and receive a standard service retirement annuity if:
(1) the member is at least 65 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system; or
(2) the member is at least 62 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system and the sum of the member’s age and amount of service credit in the retirement system equals the number 80.
(b) This subsection applies only to a person who is not subject to Subsection (b-1), (b-2), (d), (d-1), or (d-2). If a member subject to this subsection is at least 55 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system, the member is eligible to retire and receive a service retirement annuity reduced from the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a)(1), to a percentage derived from the following table:

Age at date of retirement 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
Percentage of standard annuity receivable 47% 51% 55% 59% 63% 67% 73% 80% 87% 93% 100%

(b-1) This subsection applies only to a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2007, and who is not subject to Subsection (b-2). If a member subject to this subsection is at least 55 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system, but does not meet the requirements under Subsection (d-1), the member is eligible to retire and receive a service retirement annuity reduced from the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a-1)(1), to a percentage derived from the following table:
Age at date of retirement 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
Percentage of standard annuity receivable 47% 51% 55% 59% 63% 67% 73% 80% 87% 93% 100%

(b-2) This subsection applies only to a person who does not have at least five years of service credit in the retirement system on or before August 31, 2014, or who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2014. If a member subject to this subsection is at least 55 years old and has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system, but does not meet the requirements under Subsection (d-2), the member is eligible to retire and receive a service retirement annuity reduced from the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a-2)(1), to a percentage derived from the following table:
Age at date of retirement 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
Percentage of standard annuity receivable 47% 51% 55% 59% 63% 67% 73% 80% 87% 93% 100%

(c) Repealed by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1359, Sec. 55(a)(1), eff. September 1, 2005.
(d) This subsection applies only to a person who is not subject to Subsection (d-1) or (d-2). If a member subject to this subsection has at least 30 years of service credit in the retirement system, the member is eligible to retire regardless of age and receive a service retirement annuity consisting of the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a) decreased by two percent for each year of age under 50 years.
(d-1) This subsection applies only to a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2007, and who is not subject to Subsection (d-2). If the sum of the member's age and amount of service credit in the retirement system equals the number 80, with at least five years of service credit, or if the member has at least 30 years of service credit in the retirement system, the member is eligible to retire regardless of age and receive a service retirement annuity consisting of the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a-1)(2) decreased by five percent for each year of age under 60 years.
(d-2) This subsection applies only to a person who does not have at least five years of service credit in the retirement system on or before August 31, 2014, or who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after September 1, 2014. If the sum of the member's age and amount of service credit in the retirement system equals the number 80, with at least five years of service credit, or if the member has at least 30 years of service credit in the retirement system, the member is eligible to retire regardless of age and receive a service retirement annuity consisting of the standard service retirement annuity available under Subsection (a-2)(2) decreased by five percent for each year of age under 62 years.
(e) The board of trustees may adopt tables for reduction of benefits for early retirement by each month of age, but the range of percentages in the tables within a year must be limited to the range provided between two years of age by this section.
(f) Except as provided by Chapter 803 or 805, a member is not eligible to receive service retirement benefits from the retirement system unless the member has at least five years of service credit in the retirement system for actual service in public schools.