TO:	Honorable Rafael Anchia, Chair, House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1846 by Allen (Relating to benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.), As Introduced

COST ESTIMATE

Based on the February 28, 2021 Actuarial Valuation.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)	Current	Proposed	Difference
Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (billions)	$50.5	$166.5	$116.0
Funding Ratio	77.8%	50.1%	-27.7%
Amortization Period (years)	26	Infinite	N/A
Actuarial Soundness	Sound	Unsound	N/A

ACTUARIAL EFFECTS

The actuarial review states under the current Pension Review Board (PRB) Pension Funding Guidelines, funding should be sufficient to cover the normal cost and to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) over as brief a period as possible, but not to exceed 30 years, with 10 - 25 years being the preferable target range. Teacher Retirement System (TRS) statute defines actuarial soundness, for purposes of making modifications to benefit and contribution levels, as no more than 31 years. TRS is currently actuarially sound, with an amortization period of 26 years. The projected funding period would increase to infinite following the passage of the bill.  Since the funding period of TRS would exceed 30 years by one or more years, provisions of the bill would conflict with Texas Government Code Section 821.006, as it is currently written.


SYNOPSIS OF PROVISIONS

The bill would amend the Government Code by adding a provision for a ten percent increase in the monthly service retirement, disability retirement, or death benefit for all current and future retirees. The bill would also provide an annual four percent cost-of-living adjustment to all current and future retirees. Additionally, the bill would require TRS to make a one-time supplemental payment of a retirement or death benefit equal to the greater of $2,000 or the gross amount of the regular annuity payment to which the eligible annuitant is otherwise entitled to for the month of December 2021. This payment would be made January 2022.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The actuarial analysis states the total contribution rate would need to increase by approximately 23 percent of payroll to achieve an actuarially sound contribution rate and maintain an amortization period of no more than 31 years. The bill would impact current and future retirees, disabled retirees, survivors, and alternate payees.

GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD (GASB) EFFECTS

The actuarial analysis notes the net pension liability (NPL) on the state's balance sheet will increase by its proportionate share of the enhancement. The state would be allocated 55 percent of that and the remaining 45 percent would be allocated to participating employers. 

METHODOLOGY AND STANDARDS

The TRS analysis relies on the participant data, financial information, benefit structure and actuarial assumptions and methods used in the February 28, 2021 actuarial valuation.  According to the PRB actuary, the actuarial assumptions, methods and procedures are reasonable for the purpose of this analysis. All actuarial projections have a degree of uncertainty because they are based on the probability of occurrence of future contingent events. Accordingly, actual results will be different from the results contained in the analysis to the extent actual future experience varies from the experience implied by the assumptions. This analysis is based on the assumption that no other legislative changes affecting the funding or benefits of TRS will be adopted. It should be noted that when several proposals are adopted, the effect of each may be compounded, resulting in a cost that is greater (or less) than the sum of each proposal considered independently.
 
SOURCES

Actuarial Analysis by Daniel Siblik, ASA, and Joseph P. Newton, FSA, Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company, April 2, 2021.
Actuarial Review by Kenneth J. Herbold, ASA, EA, MAAA, Staff Actuary, Pension Review Board, April 3, 2021.
 

GLOSSARY

Actuarial Accrued Liability (AAL) - The current value of benefits attributed to past years.
Actuarial Value of Assets (AVA) - The value of assets used for the actuarial valuation. The AVA can be either the market value (MVA) or a smoothed value of assets.
Amortization Payments - The portion of the total contribution used to reduce the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL).
Amortization Period - The specified length of time used when calculating the amortization payment portion of an actuarially determined contribution, or as the time it would theoretically take to fully fund the UAAL or fully recognize a surplus. The PRB recommends that funding should be sufficient to cover the normal cost and to amortize the UAAL over as brief a period as possible, but not to exceed 30 years, with 10-25 years being the preferable target range.
Actuarial Cost Method - An actuarial cost method is a way to allocate pieces of a participant's total expected benefit to each year of their working career. In other words, it is a technique to determine how much of the present value of future benefits (PVFB) to assign to past service (AAL) vs. future service (present value of future normal costs, or PVFNC).
Funded Ratio (FR) - The ratio of actuarial assets to the actuarial accrued liabilities.
GASB 68 and related terminology - A statement of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) concerning accounting for pension by governmental employers effective for FYE June 30, 2015 and later.
Net Pension Liability (NPL) -  The liability of employers and non-employer contributing entities for pension benefits shown on the entity's balance sheet for FYE June 30, 2015 and later. The NPL equals the TPL minus the market value of plan assets. If plan assets exceed the TPL, there is a Net Pension Asset.
Total Pension Liability (TPL) - The portion of the actuarial present value of projected benefit payments attributed to past periods of employee service under the Entry Age Normal valuation method.
Discount Rate - A single rate used to discount and calculate the TPL which is equivalent to discounting future payments reflected in the TPL at the long-term expected rate of return until plan assets are projected to be exhausted, and discounting at the municipal bond rate for subsequent payments reflected in the TPL.
Market Value of Assets (MVA) - The fair market value of the system's assets.
Normal Cost (NC) - Computed differently under different actuarial cost methods, the normal cost generally represents the current value of benefits attributed to the present year. The employer normal cost equals the total normal cost of the plan reduced by employee contributions.
Present Value of Future Benefits (PVFB) - The current value of all benefits expected to be paid from the plan to current plan participants.
Present Value of Future Normal Costs (PVFNC) - The current value of benefits attributed to the present year and all future years (includes the normal cost as the first year).
Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) - The difference between the actuarial accrued liability and the actuarial value of assets; therefore, the UAAL is the amount that is still owed to the fund for past obligations.