Bill Text: TX SB119 | 2017 | 85th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to bonuses for public school classroom teachers and state assistance for the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program; making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-08-04 - Filed [SB119 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB119-Introduced.html
| 85S12349 LED/MM-D | ||
| By: Uresti | S.B. No. 119 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to bonuses for public school classroom teachers and state | ||
| assistance for the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance | ||
| Program; making an appropriation. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. (a) The amount of $193 million of the | ||
| unencumbered appropriations from the general revenue fund for the | ||
| state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by Chapter 605 | ||
| (S.B. 1), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the | ||
| General Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services | ||
| Commission is transferred to the Texas Education Agency to be used | ||
| by the agency to provide the following bonuses to public school | ||
| classroom teachers: | ||
| (1) a bonus of $600 to be paid in September 2018 for | ||
| each classroom teacher with at least 6 but less than 11 years of | ||
| teaching experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) a bonus of $1,000 to be paid in September 2018 for | ||
| each classroom teacher with at least 11 years of teaching | ||
| experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. | ||
| (b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall identify | ||
| the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer under | ||
| Subsection (a) of this section is to be made. | ||
| (c) A bonus provided to a public school classroom teacher in | ||
| accordance with Subsection (a) of this section is not considered in | ||
| determining whether a school district is paying the teacher the | ||
| minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402, Education Code. | ||
| (d) The Texas Education Agency shall provide a bonus under | ||
| this section only to a person employed as a public school classroom | ||
| teacher at the time the bonus is paid. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) The amount of $212.7 million is appropriated | ||
| from the economic stabilization fund to the Teacher Retirement | ||
| System of Texas for use as provided by this section. | ||
| (b) The amount of $212 million of the unencumbered | ||
| appropriations from the general revenue fund for the state fiscal | ||
| biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), Acts | ||
| of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General | ||
| Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services Commission is | ||
| transferred to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for use as | ||
| provided by this section. | ||
| (c) The Health and Human Services Commission shall identify | ||
| the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer under | ||
| Subsection (b) of this section is to be made. | ||
| (d) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas may use the money | ||
| appropriated under Subsection (a) of this section and transferred | ||
| under Subsection (b) of this section to: | ||
| (1) reduce costs, including premiums, deductibles, | ||
| and prescription drug copayments, for participants in the Texas | ||
| Public School Employees Group Insurance Program authorized by | ||
| Chapter 1575, Insurance Code, during the 2018 and 2019 plan years; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) reduce the premium and maximum out-of-pocket cost | ||
| for an enrolled adult child with a mental disability or a physical | ||
| incapacity during the 2018 and 2019 plan years. | ||
| (e) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine | ||
| the most efficient allocation of the money appropriated under | ||
| Subsection (a) of this section and transferred under Subsection (b) | ||
| of this section to achieve the maximum benefit for participants in | ||
| the program. | ||
| SECTION 3. (a) Subject to Subsection (b) of this section: | ||
| (1) this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a | ||
| vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution; and | ||
| (2) if this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
| immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
| (b) This Act takes effect only if it receives a vote of | ||
| two-thirds of the members present in each house of the legislature, | ||
| as provided by Section 49-g(m), Article III, Texas Constitution. | ||
