Texas House Bill HB3217

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Caption

Relating to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas withholding certain nonprofit association dues from the annuity payments of certain members.

Impact

The proposed changes aim to streamline the process for retirees who wish to support nonprofit organizations that advocate for their interests. By enabling automatic withholding of dues, the bill seeks to facilitate greater financial support for these organizations, potentially improving their funding and impact. This legislation could lead to enhanced advocacy for retired school employees, highlighting their issues and needs through strengthened nonprofit associations.

Summary

House Bill 3217 focuses on amending the Teacher Retirement System of Texas regarding the withholding of membership dues for certain nonprofit associations from the annuity payments of retirees. The bill allows retirees who receive annuity payments to request the withholding of dues for a statewide nonprofit association of retired school employees, provided the association meets certain criteria. Specifically, the association must have at least five percent of all retirees as members, a minimum of 50,000 members and retirees, or qualify as a state employee organization that is eligible for annuity deductions under specific laws.

Contention

While the bill seems to have benefits for retirees and their associations, it may face scrutiny regarding the imposition of additional administrative responsibilities on the Teacher Retirement System. Questions may arise about the criteria for associations and how the system will verify compliance with these thresholds. Additionally, stakeholders may debate the implications for retirees who may not wish to have their dues withheld or who are not members of these specific nonprofit associations.