Honorable Dan Huberty, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3244 by Nevárez (Relating to a salary bonus for a public school teacher who completes certain autism training.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Education Code to allow a school district to provide a salary bonus or similar compensation to a teacher who completes training related to autism provided by a regional education service center. The bill would require that districts providing a bonus shall adopt a policy for implementation.
It is assumed that the bill would result in no fiscal implication to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or the Foundation School Program, based on information provided by TEA.
The bill does not specify if the bonus or additional compensation provided for by the bill would be creditable compensation in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) for purposes of calculating retirement contributions and annuities. If the bonus or additional compensation was creditable compensation, there would be some costs to the state to contribute the statutorily defined state contribution of 6.8 percent of the additional compensation. However, the costs to the state for retirement contributions associated with the bill are anticipated to be small.
If the bonus or additional compensation was creditable compensation in the Teacher Retirement System, the bill would be actuarially neutral, since additional contributions to the retirement system would be made on the additional compensation credited in the calculation of annuities.
The bill would become effective immediately upon receiving a vote of two-thirds of all elected members of each chamber of the Legislature, or otherwise on September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
The bill would result in costs to local school districts that award bonuses or similar compensation as allowed under the provisions of the bill. The costs would depend upon the policy adopted by a district, the amount of the bonus or other compensation to be awarded to teachers, and the extent to which teachers in a district utilized the opportunity to earn additional compensation by completing training related to autism. In addition, the bill would result in costs for education service centers to create and conduct training related to autism and to track teacher participation in the trainings.