By:  Bivins                                           S.J.R. No. 52
 1-1                           SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
 1-2     proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature
 1-3     to use contributions to the pension fund of the Teacher Retirement
 1-4     System of Texas to finance health care benefits for retirees of
 1-5     that system.
 1-6           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Subdivision (1), Subsection (b), Section 67,
 1-8     Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is amended to read as follows:
 1-9                 (1)  The legislature shall establish by law a Teacher
1-10     Retirement System of Texas to provide benefits for persons employed
1-11     in the public schools, colleges, and universities supported wholly
1-12     or partly by the state.  Other employees may be included under the
1-13     system by law.  The legislature may enact laws to include within
1-14     the retirement benefits provided to retirees by the Teacher
1-15     Retirement System of Texas health care benefits in the manner
1-16     provided by Section 401(h), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and its
1-17     subsequent amendments, or its successor statute, that are financed
1-18     by contributions under this section.
1-19           SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
1-20     submitted to the voters at an election to be held August 11, 2001.
1-21     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against  the
1-22     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to provide for the use
1-23     of contributions to the pension fund of the Teacher Retirement
1-24     System of Texas to finance health care benefits for retirees of the
 2-1     system."