Focus Report, Volume 87, Number 5, January 10, 2022 Page: PAGE17
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* Allowing TRS retirees to return to work
without losing benefits during a disaster
HB 3207 by Herrero (Mendndez)
Digest ensure our retirees are unencumbered when they respond
during a crisis such as COVID-19."
HB 3207 would have prohibited the Teacher
Retirement System of Texas from withholding a monthly Sen. Jose Mendndez, the Senate sponsor, could not be
benefit payment from a retiree who was employed in a reached for comment on the veto.
Texas public education institution in an area subject to a
declaration of disaster by the governor under Government
Code ch. 418 or a declaration of local disaster under that Notes
chapter while the declaration was in effect.
HB 3207 passed on the Local, Consent, and
Resolutions Calendar and was not analyzed in a Daily
Governor's reason for veto Floor Report.
"The Teacher Retirement System of Texas relies on
a sophisticated set of rules to ensure that current and
* former teachers' pension funds are protected, and a key
component of that is an 'Employment After Retirement'
policy that triggers penalties if a retired school employee
returns to service in violation of the rules. House Bill 3207
would dismantle that careful architecture, eliminating
penalties for violations in any area subject to any disaster
declaration. The desire to help both retirees and school
children is laudable, but the bill lacks the necessary
safeguards. Not every disaster merits the same response,
and disaster declarations often must remain in place for an
extended period of time in order to ensure the availability
of federal assistance long after immediate personnel needs
have been met. In order to protect the pension fund, the
exception contemplated by House Bill 3207 needs to be
tailored to actual needs."
Response
Rep. Abel Herrero, the bill's author, said: "During
the COVID-19 pandemic, many retired school district
employees returned to work to help their communities,
only to later find they were penalized a month's annuity
check for their selfless efforts. HB 3207 was intended to
ensure retirees were never penalized again for supporting
neighborhood schools in need. Moving forward, we will
continue to work with everyone, especially the governor, toHouse Research Organization
Page 17
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 87, Number 5, January 10, 2022, periodical, January 10, 2022; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1543870/m1/17/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.