| 2 | 4 | | |
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| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 8 | | Relating to the creation of the Texas Commission on Public School |
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| 7 | 9 | | Teacher Retirement Funding Transparency. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 48, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 10 | 12 | | Subchapter H to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER H. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER RETIREMENT |
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| 12 | 14 | | FUNDING TRANSPARENCY |
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| 13 | 15 | | Sec. 48.401. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission" |
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| 14 | 16 | | means the Texas Commission on Public School Teacher Retirement |
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| 15 | 17 | | Funding Transparency. |
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| 16 | 18 | | Sec. 48.402. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER |
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| 17 | 19 | | RETIREMENT FUNDING TRANSPARENCY. (a) The commission is |
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| 18 | 20 | | established to develop and make recommendations regarding methods |
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| 19 | 21 | | of incorporating state resources for teacher retirement within the |
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| 20 | 22 | | Foundation School Program, aligning staffing incentives with state |
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| 21 | 23 | | priorities, and providing uniformity in resourcing retirement |
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| 22 | 24 | | obligations. |
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| 23 | 25 | | (b) The commission is composed of seven members, appointed |
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| 24 | 26 | | as follows: |
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| 25 | 27 | | (1) one member appointed by the governor; |
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| 26 | 28 | | (2) three members appointed by the lieutenant |
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| 27 | 29 | | governor; and |
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| 28 | 30 | | (3) three members appointed by the speaker of the |
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| 29 | 31 | | house of representatives. |
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| 30 | 32 | | (c) The members appointed by: |
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| 31 | 33 | | (1) the governor must have an interest in staffing |
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| 32 | 34 | | issues faced by public schools; |
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| 33 | 35 | | (2) the lieutenant governor must be three members of |
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| 34 | 36 | | the senate; and |
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| 35 | 37 | | (3) the speaker of the house of representatives must |
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| 36 | 38 | | be three members of the house of representatives. |
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| 37 | 39 | | Sec. 48.403. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall |
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| 38 | 40 | | designate the presiding officer of the commission. |
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| 39 | 41 | | Sec. 48.404. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of |
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| 40 | 42 | | the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the |
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| 41 | 43 | | commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and |
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| 42 | 44 | | necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties. |
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| 43 | 45 | | Sec. 48.405. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a) The |
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| 44 | 46 | | agency shall provide administrative support for the commission. |
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| 45 | 47 | | (b) The Teacher Retirement System and the office of the |
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| 46 | 48 | | comptroller of public accounts shall provide support required by |
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| 47 | 49 | | the commission. |
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| 48 | 50 | | (c) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses |
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| 49 | 51 | | of the commission shall be provided by legislative appropriation |
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| 50 | 52 | | made to the agency for that purpose. |
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| 51 | 53 | | Sec. 48.406. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall |
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| 52 | 54 | | develop recommendations under this subchapter regarding: |
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| 53 | 55 | | (1) incorporating current and future appropriations |
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| 54 | 56 | | for state contributions for retirement of public education |
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| 55 | 57 | | personnel into the Foundation School Program as part of the basic |
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| 56 | 58 | | allotment or another formula mechanism; |
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| 57 | 59 | | (2) reviewing state and school contribution |
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| 58 | 60 | | requirements to ensure: |
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| 59 | 61 | | (A) staffing incentives prioritize classroom |
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| 60 | 62 | | instruction; and |
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| 61 | 63 | | (B) uniformity in retirement obligations between |
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| 62 | 64 | | public schools; and |
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| 63 | 65 | | (3) employer contribution requirements are sufficient |
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| 64 | 66 | | to ensure the long term health of the Teacher Retirement System of |
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| 65 | 67 | | Texas. |
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| 66 | 68 | | (b) The commission may establish one or more working groups |
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| 67 | 69 | | composed of not more than three members of the commission to study, |
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| 68 | 70 | | discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to |
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| 69 | 71 | | refer to the commission for consideration. |
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| 70 | 72 | | Sec. 48.407. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2026, the |
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| 71 | 73 | | commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and |
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| 72 | 74 | | the legislature that recommends statutory changes to implement |
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| 73 | 75 | | recommendations under this subchapter. |
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| 74 | 76 | | Sec. 48.408. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) |
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| 75 | 77 | | The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill its |
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| 76 | 78 | | duties under this subchapter. As an advisory body, the commission |
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| 77 | 79 | | is not subject to Chapter 551, Government Code. |
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| 78 | 80 | | (b) The commission is subject to Chapter 552, Government |
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| 79 | 81 | | Code. |
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| 80 | 82 | | Sec. 48.409. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF |
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| 81 | 83 | | SUBCHAPTER. The commission is abolished and this subchapter |
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| 82 | 84 | | expires January 1, 2027. |
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| 83 | 85 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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