HB 2163
AN ACT relating to benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to House committee
Committee
Not yet assigned
Fiscal Note
Not available
What This Bill Does
Provides a one-time 10% benefit adjustment and establishes a 4% annual cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers and other eligible annuitants through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Eligible retirees who had their retirement effective before September 1, 2024, will receive a supplemental payment in January 2026, calculated based on their regular monthly annuity payment. The bill aims to provide financial support for retired educators by helping them keep pace with inflation and increasing their retirement benefits.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 824, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 824.7015 and 824.704 to read as follows: Sec. 824.7015. ONE-TIME ADJUSTMENT TO BENEFITS. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the amount of a monthly service retirement benefit, disability retirement benefit, or death benefit paid under this chapter is increased to include a one-time 10 percent adjustment in accordance with this (b) The board of trustees shall recompute the amount of a benefit paid monthly under this chapter by applying the 10 percent adjustment to the monthly amount otherwise required to be paid as determined in accordance with the other applicable provisions of Sec. 824.704. ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT FOR COST OF LIVING. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the amount of a monthly service retirement benefit, disability retirement benefit, or death benefit paid under this chapter is increased to include a four percent annual cost-of-living adjustment in (b) On January 1 of each year, the board of trustees shall recompute the amount of a benefit paid monthly under this chapter by applying the four percent adjustment to the monthly amount otherwise required to be paid as determined in accordance with the other applicable provisions of this chapter and other law. SECTION 2. (a) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall make a supplemental payment of a retirement or death benefit, (b) The supplemental payment is payable in January 2026 and, to the extent practicable, on a date or dates that coincide with the regular annuity payment payable to each eligible annuitant. (c) The amount of the supplemental payment is equal to the (2) the gross amount of the regular annuity payment to which the eligible annuitant is otherwise entitled for the month of (d) The supplemental payment is payable without regard to any forfeiture of benefits under Section 824.601, Government Code. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall make applicable tax withholding and other legally required deductions before disbursing the supplemental payment. A supplemental payment under this section is in addition to and not in lieu of the regular monthly annuity payment to which the eligible annuitant is (e) Subject to Subsection (f) of this section, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, a person must be, for the month of December 2025, and disregarding any forfeiture of benefits under Section 824.601, Government Code, an annuitant eligible to (1) a standard retirement annuity payment; (2) an optional retirement annuity payment as either a (3) a life annuity payment under Section 824.402(a)(4), Government Code; (4) an annuity for a guaranteed period of 60 months under Section 824.402(a)(3), Government Code; or (5) an alternate payee annuity payment under Section (f) If the annuitant is a retiree or a beneficiary under an optional retirement payment plan, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, the effective date of the retirement of the member of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas must have been before September 1, 2024. If the annuitant is a beneficiary under Section 824.402(a)(3) or (4), Government Code, to be eligible for the supplemental payment, the date of death of the member of the retirement system must have been before September 1, 2024. The supplemental payment shall be made to an alternate payee who is an annuitant under Section 804.005, Government Code, only if the annuity payment to the alternate payee commenced before September 1, 2024. The supplemental payment is in addition to the guaranteed number of payments under Section 824.402(a)(3) or 824.204(c)(3) or (4), Government Code, and may not be counted as one of the (g) The supplemental payment does not apply to payments (1) Section 824.304(a), Government Code, relating to disability retirees with less than 10 years of service credit; (2) Section 824.304(b)(2), Government Code, relating to disability retirees who receive a disability annuity in an (3) Section 824.804(b), Government Code, relating to participants in the deferred retirement option plan with regard to payments from their deferred retirement option plan accounts; (4) Section 824.501(a), Government Code, relating to retiree survivor beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity in an (5) Section 824.404(a), Government Code, relating to active member survivor beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity (h) Except as provided by this section, the board of trustees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine the eligibility for and the amount and timing of a supplemental payment and the manner in which the payment is made. (i) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall pay the supplemental payment made under this section from the retired reserve account and may transfer to that account from the state contribution account any portion of the amount that exceeds the amount in the retired reserve account available to finance the supplemental payment and that is actuarially determined to be necessary to finance the supplemental payment. The supplemental payment under this section must comply with Section 821.006, SECTION 3. Sections 824.7015 and 824.704, Government Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a monthly benefit payment made by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas on or after September 1, SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill Sponsors
Legislators who authored or co-sponsored this bill.
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of
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