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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Established in 1947 and safeguarded under Section |
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67, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, the Employees Retirement |
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System of Texas (ERS) provides retirement benefits for state |
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employees, elected state officials, and members of the judiciary |
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and administers service to approximately 500,000 public employees |
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and retirees from about 134 state agencies, 103 higher education |
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institutions, and 121 counties; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1999, the 76th Texas Legislature provided for a |
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supplemental retirement annuity for retired state employees in the |
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form of a 13th check, and the next year ERS announced that it would |
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issue this lump sum check to state employees who were retired on or |
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before August 31, 2000; despite this assurance, retirees are still |
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waiting to receive the promised benefit; and |
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WHEREAS, Current law permits the ERS board of trustees to |
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adopt benefit enhancements if budget projections indicate that the |
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ERS fund can pay all retirement benefits due current beneficiaries |
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in less than 31 years; data suggests that the system's amortization |
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period will remain under 31 years if ERS funding proposed by the |
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General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, 80th Texas Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2007, is maintained; and |
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WHEREAS, The hardworking employees of the State of Texas |
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greatly contribute to the state and deserve proper compensation for |
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their dedication and service to the citizens of Texas; it is |
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imperative, therefore, that the legislature show its support for |
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the supplemental annuity by firmly endorsing the issuing of a 13th |
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check to retirees no later than September 2007; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby express its commitment to the state's retired public |
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employees and support for the Employees Retirement System of Texas |
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board of trustees exercising its statutory authority to provide |
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eligible system beneficiaries with a supplemental annuity in the |
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form of a 13th check. |