House Appropriations Subcommittee Hears Testimony From TRS, TRTA
Today, February 20, 2017, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III listened to invited testimony from multiple state agencies, including the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), as well as public testimony. The House budget bill will include funding for the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. The Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III is responsible for […]
House Committee Assignments Announced
House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) released his committee assignments for the 85th Texas Legislature today. In particular, Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) members should be aware of the House Appropriations Committee and the Pensions Committee. The House budget bill will include funding for the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. The Appropriations Committee will be […]
Senate Finance Work Group on Health Care Costs Meets
Today, Friday, February 3, the special work group appointed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jane Nelson to consider cost containment measures for state-vested health care plans met and heard testimony. Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) Executive Director Tim Lee was invited to testify. The following Senators serve on the work group: Charles Schwertner, Chair; Joan […]
Senate Finance Committee Continues Discussions on Funding Health Care
Today, February 1, 2017, the Senate Finance Committee met to continue its discussion about funding vital programs in the state budget, including the TRS-Care retiree health insurance plan. The committee’s discussion picks up from a meeting held on January 24. You can read TRTA’s comprehensive overview of last week’s meeting by clicking here. Funding for […]
Texas Retired Teachers Foundation Scholarship and Grant Applications Now Available!
Most of the members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) know about and support our organization’s charitable arm, the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF). The Foundation operates several wonderful programs for Texas educators of the past, present, and future, including scholarships and grants! This year, TRTF is offering a great new opportunity for soon-to-be […]
Take Our TRS-Care Survey
The Texas Senate Finance Committee is set to hear testimony on costs surrounding the state-run teacher retirement health care program, TRS-Care, on Wednesday, February 1. The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. The Executive Director of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA), Tim Lee, will be testifying on behalf of retirees. If you are a […]
Senate Finance Committee Meeting Overview: The First of Many Discussions to Come
Executive Summary: The Senate Finance committee received budget recommendations from the Legislative Budget Board about the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. The committee received testimony from TRS Executive Director Brian Guthrie and TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee. In the absence of additional funding, Guthrie explained TRS-Care would cease to exist. Lee offered retirees’ assistance to […]
Senate Finance Hearing Today, New Budget Workgroup for TRS-Care Announced!
The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) would like to thank our dedicated members for reaching out to their Senators in advance of today’s Senate Finance Committee hearing to discuss budgeting concerns for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). TRTA members have sent more than 2,000 emails since Friday, encouraging their Senators to work with […]
Senate Finance Committee Meets, Discusses Teacher Retirement System Budget Requests
Today, January 24, 2017, the Senate Finance Committee met to discuss several state budget items, including requests from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) for the pension fund and the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. Today’s meeting was just the beginning of numerous budget discussions to be had over the course of the legislative […]
Senate Finance Meets Tomorrow! Contact Your State Senators Today!
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR SENATOR The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) is so grateful for its members, who continue to be proactive and focused on pertinent issues this legislative session! TRTA members already have sent more than 1,700 emails to their Senators about tomorrow’s very important Senate Finance meeting. If you have not emailed […]