TRTA Against Defined Contribution Bill

TRTA Testifies Against Bill Creating Defined Contribution Plan The House Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services (PIFS) Committee received public testimony on HB 2506 by Representative Warren Chisum. This legislation would eliminate the defined contribution for the future TRS employees, it would allow current active TRS members the ability to withdraw from the current defined benefit […]

Important Facts about Identity Breach

TRTA Update on Identity Breach Your Personal Information Has Been Leaked, Learn What You Should do to Protect Yourself and Others you Know Many TRS retired and active members are now receiving a letter explaining that their identity has been exposed on a public web site controlled by the office of the Texas Comptroller of […]

Bill Eliminating TRS DB Plan Heard Next Week

Defined Benefit Plan Under Attack Legislative Plan Calls for the End of TRS Benefit as We Know It The House Committee on Pensions, Investments and Financial Services (PIFS) will have a public hearing on HB 2506, a bill that calls for the elimination of the state defined benefit plan provided for employees of the Texas […]

TRTA Action Alert: Support Senate Version of the Texas Budget

TRTA Action Alert   Support the Senate Budget Recommendation The Texas Senate has recommended a budget plan that is far better to TRS retirees than the version passed by the Texas House. The Senate proposal was developed in large part by State Senator Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock). The highlights of Senator Duncan’s proposal to protect TRS […]

TRTA Inside Line April 19, 2011

Supplemental Payment Bill Heard in House Committee Legislation would use fund’s investment earnings to make payment Legislation authored by Representative Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) would provide Texas public education retirees with a supplemental payment similar to the one provided in 2008. The legislation intends to set some temporary benchmarks on when and how the payment […]

Senate Adjusts Budget Recommendations for TRS

Senate Recommendation Protects TRS-Care   Senator Finance Committee Restores Funds for TRS-Care and TRS Pension Fund A proposal designed by Senator Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) to protect TRS-Care participants from seeing a premium increase in the coming biennium, as well as restore over $100 million in funding for the TRS pension trust fund was adopted in […]

Private Information Compromised on Comptroller’s Web Site

Security Failure Comptroller’s Office Makes Statement An alarming statement was issued by the Office of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs yesterday. For over a year, that agency has left sensitive personal information about people in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and the Employees Retirement System (ERS) on an unsecured […]

Health Care Funds Projected to Run Dry

TRS Projects Health Care Fund Out of Money by FY 2014 This week in the House Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services (PIFS) Committee hearing, Mr. Brian Guthrie (TRS Executive Director Designate) reported on how bad things may get for the TRS-Care health insurance fund if legislators do not restore funding to the program. One “worst […]

TRTA Special Alert Update

TRTA Members Take Action   Coleman Amendment Shifted in Budget due to Lack of Funds   An amendment offered by Representative Garnet Coleman to restore full funding to the TRS-Care health insurance program was moved at the author’s request to Article 11 of the Texas budget. Article 11 is often referred to as the “wish-list” […]

Support TRS-Care Amendment

HB1 Amendments Being Considered Today Email and Call Your Legislators and Ask Them to Support the Coleman Amendment Now! (Take Action Now: Click here to send an email to your legislator asking for their support on this amendment) As you read this, the Texas House of Representatives is debating HB1, the bill that determines the […]