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Texas Payroll/Personnel Resource

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Lifetime Service Credit

Lifetime service credit reflects an employee’s entire time of state service and is used to determine the amount of longevity pay an individual may be eligible to receive. Any periods of time spent in a hazardous duty position are accounted for separately.

Eligible Employments

An individual accrues lifetime service credit:

  • As a full-time, part-time or temporary state employee or while otherwise serving as an employee of the state, regardless of whether the individual was a student during that service.
  • As a full-time, salaried, non-elected member of a governing body.
  • As a member of the legislature.
  • While holding a statewide office that is normally filled by vote of the people.
  • While in an academic position at an institution of higher education.
    – or –
  • As a Texas National Guard technician before Jan. 1, 1969.

Employments Excluded From Accruing Lifetime Service Credit

An individual does not accrue lifetime service credit for the period in which the individual was:

  • An officer or employee of a public junior college.
    – or –
  • A part-time member of a state board or commission (e.g., a non-salaried compensatory per diem board member).

Starting Work on the First Workday of a Month

An individual who begins working on the first workday of a month in a position that accrues lifetime service credit is considered to have begun working on the first day of the month.

Source

Texas Government Code, Sections 659.046 and 661.904.