| 1 | 1 | | By: Bucy H.B. No. 225 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to establishing a joint select committee to study the |
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| 7 | 7 | | feasibility and sustainability of providing a cost-of-living |
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| 8 | 8 | | adjustment applicable to certain benefits paid by the Teacher |
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| 9 | 9 | | Retirement System of Texas. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "committee" means the |
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| 12 | 12 | | joint select committee established under Section 2 of this Act. |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 2. JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE. (a) A joint select |
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| 14 | 14 | | committee is established for the purposes of this Act and is |
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| 15 | 15 | | composed of the following members: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) two members of the senate appointed by the |
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| 17 | 17 | | lieutenant governor; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) two members of the house of representatives |
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| 19 | 19 | | appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) one member of the public who is appointed by the |
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| 21 | 21 | | lieutenant governor from lists of names submitted by stakeholder |
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| 22 | 22 | | groups; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) one member of the public who is appointed by the |
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| 24 | 24 | | speaker of the house of representatives from lists of names |
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| 25 | 25 | | submitted by stakeholder groups. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
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| 27 | 27 | | representatives shall make the appointments required under |
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| 28 | 28 | | Subsection (a) of this section as soon as possible after the |
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| 29 | 29 | | effective date of this Act, but not later than November 1, 2021. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) If a vacancy occurs, the appropriate appointing officer |
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| 31 | 31 | | shall appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired |
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| 32 | 32 | | term in the same manner as the original appointment. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. PRESIDING OFFICER; MEETINGS. (a) The |
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| 34 | 34 | | lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives |
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| 35 | 35 | | shall jointly select the presiding officer of the committee. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding |
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| 37 | 37 | | officer. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 4. COOPERATION OF STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, OR |
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| 39 | 39 | | OFFICE. If needed to perform the duties of the committee, the |
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| 40 | 40 | | committee may request the assistance of a state agency, department, |
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| 41 | 41 | | or office. The state agency, department, or office shall provide |
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| 42 | 42 | | the committee with the requested assistance. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 5. EXPENSES. (a) Each member of the committee is |
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| 44 | 44 | | entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses |
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| 45 | 45 | | incurred in performing committee duties. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) Each legislative member is entitled to reimbursement |
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| 47 | 47 | | from the appropriate fund of the member's respective house. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (c) Each public member is entitled to reimbursement from |
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| 49 | 49 | | funds appropriated to the committee. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 6. COMMITTEE POWERS AND DUTIES; STUDY. (a) The |
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| 51 | 51 | | committee shall study the feasibility and sustainability of |
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| 52 | 52 | | providing a cost-of-living adjustment payable to annuitants |
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| 53 | 53 | | receiving a retirement benefit annuity under the Teacher Retirement |
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| 54 | 54 | | System of Texas. The study must seek to identify and recommend a |
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| 55 | 55 | | financial structure capable of providing the cost-of-living |
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| 56 | 56 | | adjustment. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (b) The committee has all other powers and duties provided |
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| 58 | 58 | | to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and |
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| 59 | 59 | | house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government |
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| 60 | 60 | | Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on |
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| 61 | 61 | | administration. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 7. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2022, the |
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| 63 | 63 | | committee shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
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| 64 | 64 | | and the speaker of the house of representatives a report of the |
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| 65 | 65 | | committee's findings and recommendations under this Act. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 8. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE; EXPIRATION. The |
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| 67 | 67 | | committee is abolished and this Act expires September 15, 2022. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 69 | 69 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 70 | 70 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 71 | 71 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 72 | 72 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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| 73 | 73 | | last day of the legislative session. |
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