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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to bonuses for public school classroom teachers and state |
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assistance for the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance |
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Program; making an appropriation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) The amount of $193 million of the |
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unencumbered appropriations from the general revenue fund for the |
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state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by Chapter 605 |
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(S.B. 1), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the |
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General Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services |
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Commission is transferred to the Texas Education Agency to be used |
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by the agency to provide the following bonuses to public school |
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classroom teachers: |
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(1) a bonus of $600 to be paid in September 2018 for |
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each classroom teacher with at least 6 but less than 11 years of |
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teaching experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year; |
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and |
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(2) a bonus of $1,000 to be paid in September 2018 for |
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each classroom teacher with at least 11 years of teaching |
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experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. |
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(b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall identify |
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the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer under |
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Subsection (a) of this section is to be made. |
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(c) A bonus provided to a public school classroom teacher in |
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accordance with Subsection (a) of this section is not considered in |
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determining whether a school district is paying the teacher the |
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minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402, Education Code. |
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(d) The Texas Education Agency shall provide a bonus under |
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this section only to a person employed as a public school classroom |
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teacher at the time the bonus is paid. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The amount of $212.7 million is appropriated |
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from the economic stabilization fund to the Teacher Retirement |
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System of Texas for use as provided by this section. |
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(b) The amount of $212 million of the unencumbered |
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appropriations from the general revenue fund for the state fiscal |
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biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), Acts |
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of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General |
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Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services Commission is |
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transferred to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for use as |
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provided by this section. |
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(c) The Health and Human Services Commission shall identify |
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the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer under |
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Subsection (b) of this section is to be made. |
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(d) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas may use the money |
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appropriated under Subsection (a) of this section and transferred |
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under Subsection (b) of this section to: |
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(1) reduce costs, including premiums, deductibles, |
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and prescription drug copayments, for participants in the Texas |
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Public School Employees Group Insurance Program authorized by |
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Chapter 1575, Insurance Code, during the 2018 and 2019 plan years; |
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and |
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(2) reduce the premium and maximum out-of-pocket cost |
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for an enrolled adult child with a mental disability or a physical |
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incapacity during the 2018 and 2019 plan years. |
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(e) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine |
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the most efficient allocation of the money appropriated under |
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Subsection (a) of this section and transferred under Subsection (b) |
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of this section to achieve the maximum benefit for participants in |
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the program. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Subject to Subsection (b) of this section: |
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(1) this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a |
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vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution; and |
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(2) if this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |
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(b) This Act takes effect only if it receives a vote of |
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two-thirds of the members present in each house of the legislature, |
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as provided by Section 49-g(m), Article III, Texas Constitution. |