LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          March 1, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Ken Armbrister, Chair        IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 9
         Committee on State Affairs                     By: Armbrister, et
         Senate                                 al.
         Austin, Texas








FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
9 (Relating to the functions and systems and programs
administered by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.) this
office has determined the following:

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.

The bill would implement the recommendations of the Sunset
Advisory Commission regarding the Teacher Retirement System. 
Certain provisions of the bill would:

-  Provide a post-retirement increase for TRS retirees that would
address 25 percent of the impact of inflation, or raise
retirement annuities to the monthly minimum described below,
whichever is greater;

- Raise the monthly minimum benefit for future retired teachers
and librarians to a level that equals the annualized minimum
salary for classroom teachers multiplied by 2 percent for each
year of service;

- Modify the governance of TRS;

- Modify certain management and reporting practices of the TRS;

- Provide for audits of the investment practices of TRS;    




- Require the agency to comply with the state space allocation 
standard,  which would result in TRS leasing-out its excess space
and receiving rental income;

- Require the legislature to appropriate funds for the
administration of the retirement system.  A cost to the state
general revenue fund would result from this provision; and

-Establish a group insurance program for active employees of
public independent school districts.  School districts and their
employees would pay the cost of insurance premiums.  School
districts would pay the cost of TRS administrative expenses.  The
current $10 annual fee paid by TRS members employed by school
districts would continue to be paid by those members through
fiscal year 1997.

All costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill
are currently included as appropriations in Senate Bill 2 and
House Bill 1 of the 74th Legislature (General Appropriations
Act).



The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of
the bill during each of the first  five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
     



          Fiscal  Probable Cost Out    Probable Savings 
          Year       of  General        to the Teacher  
                  Revenue Fund 001    Retirement System 
                                      Trust Fund No. 960
                                                        
          1996           $26,125,000         $26,125,000
          1997            26,125,000          26,125,000
                                                        
          1998            26,125,000          26,125,000
                                                        
          1999            26,125,000          26,125,000
          2000            26,125,000          26,125,000
                                                        
                                                        
                                                        

       Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.

No fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.    




Source:   Sunset Advisory Commission, Teacher Retirement System
          LBB Staff: JK, RN, DF