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."