Pension Fund to Release Financial Report

TRS Trust Fund Earnings Exceed 15 percent for the year The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) holds its regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting this morning. Among many business items, the trustees will review their actuarial valuation update for the state fiscal year ending August 31, 2011. The report highlights the pension fund’s overall […]

TRS Board Meeting Review

No “Silver Bullet” to Fix TRS-Care Funding Fund Surplus Will Suffer Massive Shortfalls by End of Next Fiscal Year The Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Board of Trustees met for their regularly scheduled meeting in Austin this week. During the meeting, TRS trustees received a report that today’s health fund surplus is being depleted completely. This […]

Happy New (Fiscal) Year!

New State Fiscal Year Means Less for TRS, Fight over Defined Benefit Plans Looms, Anita Palmer Appointed as Retiree Representative on TRS Board After time off to recoup from a busy legislative session, the TRTA Inside Line email service is now resuming. We plan to communicate with you every other week, and more often as […]

End of Special Session, etc.

The special legislative session has ended, with the House adjourning sine die on Wednesday June 29 and the Senate doing so the day before. TRTA members have been waiting to learn the outcome of SB 1, to which Representative Larry Gonzales attached an amendment intended to provide financial relief to TRS annuitants. A conference committee […]

TRTA Action Alert : Retain the Gonzales Amendment to SB 1

TRTA members can still influence outcome on possible supplemental payment The current special legislative session is in its final days, but there is at least one big issue that TRTA members are waiting to learn its final outcome. An amendment added to SB 1 by Representative Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) would authorize TRS to make […]

One More Chance for Possible Payment

Contact Your Legislator Today The Texas House is debating a school funding bill today. Representative Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) has filed an amendment that would add the language from HB 3542 to this bill. As you will recall, HB 3542 provides an opportunity for TRS retirees to receive a supplemental payment if certain conditions are […]

Amendment Adopted!

Gonzales Amendment Adopted to SB 1 TRTA Members Push Hard and Texas House Responds Though the notice was short and time was of the essence, thousands of TRTA members sent emails and made phone calls asking the Texas House to adopt an amendment to SB 1 that provides retirees with the possibility to receive a […]

TRTA Update: Regular Over, Special Starts

Regular Session Ends, A Special Session Begins… What You Need to Know The complete TRTA recap of the 82nd Regular Legislative Session will appear in The VOICE (the TRTA quarterly publication) next month. For now, here are key highlights about the end of the regular session and what you should know about the special session […]

Bad Politics, Questionable Policy for TRS-Care

Good News on Budget Agreement for TRS Retirees, BUT… Last Minute Budget Maneuver May Have TRS Jumping Through Hoops The long-awaited conference committee report on the state budget was released last night, with good and bad news for TRS retirees. The Good News Legislative conferees agreed to keep the funding for the TRS-Care health insurance […]

Update on TRS Board Bill — Going to the Governor

HB 2120 Passes Senate Now Awaits Governor’s Decision HB 2120 passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday, May 24. The bill, which would allow the designated higher education retiree position on the TRS Board of Trustees to be open to any member of TRS, now goes to the Governor for his signature or veto. HB 2120 […]