Click here to contact your Representative about cosigning HB 151.
The Texas Legislature kicked off its special session today, and many bills are being filed to address the Governor’s concerns. For many members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA), the issue of TRS-Care funding is foremost on their minds.
TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee spoke today with Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Terrell) during a Facebook Live event about his proposal to overhaul state funding for TRS-Care. Gooden’s bill (HB 151) would allocate $1 billion from the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund (also known as the Rainy Day Fund) for the program. The funding would dramatically ease the financial pain retirees will experience as a result of changes made to the program during the regular 85th Sesión Legislativa.
Rep. Gooden encouraged retirees to continue communicating with Gov. Greg Abbott about the importance of finding additional funding for TRS-Care. Gooden also recommended that retirees communicate with their Representatives about his bill and encourage all State Representatives to cosign the bill.
Click here to contact your Representative about cosigning HB 151.
Remember, special session only lasts for 30 days. If nothing is done during this timeframe, the new plan design changes for TRS-Care will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018, leaving many retirees with difficult financial burdens.
TRTA has many friends in the Legislature, and there will be several bills filed proposing help for retirees. We will report and analyze each bill as special session progresses.
The TRTA State Legislative Committee also met in Austin today to discuss their plans for special session and beyond. The committee members received the latest information about potential methods for funding TRS-Care, and how to best communicate with their Senators and Representatives.
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