Regular Session News #2: 2025 Regular Session starts Monday; six additional bills affect TRSL
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The 2025 Regular Legislative Session begins at noon on Monday, April 14. In addition to the three bills included in our March 25 Legislative Update, TRSL is closely monitoring six additional bills that could impact the retirement system and its members.
New bills affecting TRSL
The following bills filed last week could affect TRSL:
Additional Payments toward UAL/Companion Legislation
Two bills that mimic parts of legislation passed in the November 2024 Third Extraordinary Session have been filed that together would pay off a significant amount of retirement debt and make permanent the salary increase teachers and support staff are receiving this school year.
House Bill 473 (Rep. Emerson) would ask voters to amend the state constitution to require an additional, one-time payment to erase a portion of TRSL retirement debt, also known as the unfunded accrued liability (UAL). HB 473 proposes to apply the balance in three educational trust funds to make a one-time UAL payment that would pay off or nearly pay off TRSL’s two oldest debt schedules. The debt payment would reduce the employer contribution rate for TRSL-participating employers. Statewide election would be held November 3, 2026.
House Bill 466 (Rep. Carlson), a companion bill to HB 473, would direct the savings realized from the reduced employer contribution rate for TRSL-participating employers, if enacted through the constitutional amendment, to make permanent salary increases for teachers ($2,000) and school personnel ($1,000) beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. HB 466 includes provisions for state funding if the realized savings for any school district from HB 473 is insufficient to cover the raises. It also establishes specific purposes school systems must use any realized savings that exceeds what is needed to fund the pay increases.
Supplemental Payment toward UAL
House Bill 460 (Rep. McFarland) would make a supplemental appropriation of $79.5 million to the TRSL initial unfunded accrued liability (IUAL) from a portion of the FY 2023-24 surplus funds in the state treasury as required by the state Constitution.
Repeal of Mineral Revenue Dedication to UAL
House Bill 472, a proposed constitutional amendment, and House Bill 599, enabling legislation, both by Rep. Emerson, would remove the constitutional dedication of certain mineral revenues to pay down TRSL’s IUAL and remove related statutory provisions.
Citizenship/Immigration Verification and Public Benefits
House Bill 307 (Rep. Henry) would require state agencies or political subdivisions to verify citizenship or immigration status when an applicant applies for federal, state, or local public benefits, including retirement benefits. If unable to verify citizenship or legal immigration status, the public entity would be required to report this information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and terminate any recurring benefits.
Additional Information
Bills affecting TRSL will first be heard in the following committees:
The following bills filed last week could affect TRSL:
Additional Payments toward UAL/Companion Legislation
Two bills that mimic parts of legislation passed in the November 2024 Third Extraordinary Session have been filed that together would pay off a significant amount of retirement debt and make permanent the salary increase teachers and support staff are receiving this school year.
House Bill 473 (Rep. Emerson) would ask voters to amend the state constitution to require an additional, one-time payment to erase a portion of TRSL retirement debt, also known as the unfunded accrued liability (UAL). HB 473 proposes to apply the balance in three educational trust funds to make a one-time UAL payment that would pay off or nearly pay off TRSL’s two oldest debt schedules. The debt payment would reduce the employer contribution rate for TRSL-participating employers. Statewide election would be held November 3, 2026.
House Bill 466 (Rep. Carlson), a companion bill to HB 473, would direct the savings realized from the reduced employer contribution rate for TRSL-participating employers, if enacted through the constitutional amendment, to make permanent salary increases for teachers ($2,000) and school personnel ($1,000) beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. HB 466 includes provisions for state funding if the realized savings for any school district from HB 473 is insufficient to cover the raises. It also establishes specific purposes school systems must use any realized savings that exceeds what is needed to fund the pay increases.
Supplemental Payment toward UAL
House Bill 460 (Rep. McFarland) would make a supplemental appropriation of $79.5 million to the TRSL initial unfunded accrued liability (IUAL) from a portion of the FY 2023-24 surplus funds in the state treasury as required by the state Constitution.
Repeal of Mineral Revenue Dedication to UAL
House Bill 472, a proposed constitutional amendment, and House Bill 599, enabling legislation, both by Rep. Emerson, would remove the constitutional dedication of certain mineral revenues to pay down TRSL’s IUAL and remove related statutory provisions.
Citizenship/Immigration Verification and Public Benefits
House Bill 307 (Rep. Henry) would require state agencies or political subdivisions to verify citizenship or immigration status when an applicant applies for federal, state, or local public benefits, including retirement benefits. If unable to verify citizenship or legal immigration status, the public entity would be required to report this information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and terminate any recurring benefits.
Additional Information
Bills affecting TRSL will first be heard in the following committees:
- SB 7 - Senate Retirement Committee
- HB 24 and HB 20 - House Retirement Committee
- HB 473 and HB 472 - House Ways and Means Committee
- HB 466 - House Education Committee
- HB 460 and HB 599 - House Appropriations Committee; and
- HB 307 - House Judiciary Committee.
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