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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the salary and retirement benefits paid to certain |
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teachers employed by or retired from public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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ARTICLE 1. CLASSROOM TEACHER SALARIES |
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SECTION 1.01. Section 21.402, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c-2), (c-3), and (d) and amending Subsection |
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(g) to read as follows: |
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(c-2) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2017-2018 |
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school year, a classroom teacher is entitled to a monthly salary |
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that is at least equal to the sum of: |
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(1) the monthly salary the teacher would have received |
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for the 2017-2018 school year under the district's salary schedule |
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for the 2016-2017 school year, if that schedule had been in effect |
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for the 2017-2018 school year, including any local supplement and |
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any money representing a career ladder supplement the teacher would |
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have received in the 2017-2018 school year; and |
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(2) $100. |
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(c-3) Subsection (c-2) and this subsection expire September |
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1, 2018. |
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(d) A classroom teacher employed by a school district in the |
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2017-2018 school year is, as long as the teacher is employed by the |
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same district, entitled to a salary that is at least equal to the |
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salary the teacher received for the 2017-2018 school year. |
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(g) The commissioner may adopt rules to govern the |
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application of this section, including rules that: |
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(1) require the payment of a minimum salary under this |
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section to a person employed in more than one capacity for which a |
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minimum salary is provided and whose combined employment in those |
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capacities constitutes full-time employment; and |
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(2) specify the credentials a person must hold to be |
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considered a [speech pathologist or] school nurse under this |
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section. |
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SECTION 1.02. Section 42.2513(a), Education Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A school district, including a school district that is |
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otherwise ineligible for state aid under this chapter, is entitled |
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to state aid in an amount equal to the sum of: |
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(1) the product of $500 multiplied by the number of |
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full-time district employees, other than administrators or |
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employees subject to the minimum salary schedule under Section |
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21.402; [and] |
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(2) the product of $1,000 multiplied by the number of |
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classroom teachers employed by the district; and |
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(3) the product of $250 multiplied by the number of |
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part-time district employees, other than administrators. |
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SECTION 1.03. Section 21.402(c-1), Education Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 1.04. This article applies beginning with the |
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2017-2018 school year. |
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ARTICLE 2. TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT |
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SECTION 2.01. Subchapter H, Chapter 824, Government Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 824.703 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 824.703. ADDITIONAL COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT. (a) |
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Notwithstanding Section 824.702, the retirement system shall make a |
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one-time cost-of-living adjustment of $1,000 payable to annuitants |
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receiving a monthly death or retirement benefit annuity, as |
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provided by this section. |
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(b) Subject to Subsections (c) and (d), to be eligible for |
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the adjustment, a person must be, on the effective date of the |
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adjustment and disregarding any forfeiture of benefits under |
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Section 824.601, an annuitant eligible to receive: |
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(1) a standard service or disability retirement |
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annuity payment; |
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(2) an optional service or disability retirement |
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annuity payment as either a retiree or beneficiary; |
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(3) an annuity payment under Section 824.402(a)(3) or |
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(4); |
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(4) an annuity payment under Section 824.502; or |
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(5) an alternate payee annuity payment under Section |
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804.005. |
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(c) If the annuitant: |
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(1) is a retiree or is a beneficiary under an optional |
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retirement payment plan, to be eligible for the adjustment under |
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this section: |
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(A) the annuitant must be living on the effective |
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date of the adjustment; and |
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(B) the effective date of the retirement of the |
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member of the retirement system must have been after August 31, |
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2004, and on or before June 30, 2017; |
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(2) is a beneficiary under Section 824.402(a)(3) or |
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(4) or 824.502, to be eligible for the adjustment: |
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(A) the annuitant must be living on the effective |
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date of the adjustment; and |
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(B) the date of death of the member of the |
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retirement system must have been after August 31, 2004, and on or |
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before June 30, 2017; or |
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(3) is an alternate payee under Section 804.005, the |
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annuitant is eligible for the adjustment only if the effective date |
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of the election to receive the annuity payment was after August 31, |
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2004, and on or before June 30, 2017. |
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(d) An adjustment made under this section does not apply to |
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payments under: |
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(1) Section 824.203(d), relating to retirees who |
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receive a standard service retirement annuity in an amount fixed by |
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statute; |
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(2) Section 824.304(a), relating to disability |
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retirees with less than 10 years of service credit; |
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(3) Section 824.304(b)(2), relating to disability |
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retirees who receive a disability annuity in an amount fixed by |
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statute; |
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(4) Section 824.404(a), relating to active member |
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survivor beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity in an amount |
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fixed by statute; |
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(5) Section 824.501(a), relating to retiree survivor |
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beneficiaries who receive a survivor annuity in an amount fixed by |
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statute; or |
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(6) Section 824.804(b), relating to participants in |
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the deferred retirement option plan with regard to payments from |
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their deferred retirement option plan accounts. |
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(e) An adjustment under this section must be made beginning |
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with an annuity payable for the month of December 2017. |
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(f) The board of trustees shall: |
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(1) recompute the amount of a benefit paid monthly |
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under this chapter by applying the $1,000 adjustment to the monthly |
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amount otherwise required to be paid as determined in accordance |
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with the other applicable provisions of this chapter; and |
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(2) determine the eligibility for and the amount of |
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any adjustment in monthly annuities in accordance with this |
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section. |
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ARTICLE 3. EFFECTIVE DATE |
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SECTION 3.01. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of |
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the legislative session. |