Regular Session
Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis
HB4945 mandates a feasibility study to potentially create a "Hazardous Duty" retirement tier for Texas A&M Forest Service wildland firefighters within the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). This legislation creates immediate data auditing obligations solely for the Texas A&M Forest Service; private sector employers are not affected. The Forest Service must prepare historical payroll data to support actuarial modeling for a potential benefits overhaul in 2027.
Rep. Trent Ashby·House Bill·Regular Session
Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) • Texas A&M Forest Service
This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:
Standard regulatory changes (effective 2025-06-20). Review during normal business planning.
Affected business types:
lowMinimal cost impact anticipated.
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Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
No immediate amendments to employment contracts are required. However, current employment agreements for wildland firefighters should be flagged for potential renegotiation pending the outcome of the 2027 legislative session.
HR departments within the Texas A&M Forest Service must audit current job descriptions. You must clearly delineate roles that constitute "wildland firefighting" versus general administrative support to ensure accurate data segmentation for the study.
Critical Action: The Texas A&M Forest Service must aggregate service credit and salary data dating back to September 1, 2009.
No immediate fee changes. The study is funded by existing resources. The primary cost at this stage is the administrative labor required to compile and clean historical data for the actuary.
The statute uses the phrase "positions related to wildland firefighting" without defining it.
JD Key Consulting specializes in Texas regulatory compliance strategy. Work directly with James Dickey—former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas—to understand this bill's impact on your operations and develop an actionable compliance plan.
Schedule a ConsultationInformation presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
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Common questions about HB4945
HB4945 mandates a feasibility study to potentially create a "Hazardous Duty" retirement tier for Texas A&M Forest Service wildland firefighters within the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). This legislation creates immediate data auditing obligations solely for the Texas A&M Forest Service; private sector employers are not affected. The Forest Service must prepare historical payroll data to support actuarial modeling for a potential benefits overhaul in 2027.
HB4945 was authored by Texas Representative Trent Ashby during the Regular Session.
HB4945 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
HB4945 is enforced by Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) and Texas A&M Forest Service.
The regulatory priority for HB4945 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.
The cost impact of HB4945 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
HB4945 addresses topics including interim studies, retirement systems, retirement systems--police & firefighters, retirement systems--teachers and texas a&m forest service.
Key dates for HB4945: Effective date is 2025-06-20. Rulemaking: Must begin coordinating with Texas A&M Forest Service to determine qualifying positions, salary data, and actuarial impacts. (2026-03-01). Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.
JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.
