Monday, November 16, 2020

Update on HB 430 Filed by Rep. Ken King and Bills to Watch in the Texas House

 

Last Monday, November 9, was the first day for our Texas legislators to file bills for the 2021 Legislative Session. As of this evening (Monday, November 16), 580 bills have been filed in the House.  A couple things to note:

    1.      Here is a list of House bills filed and updated regularly.

    2.      Here is the list of Senate bills filed, also updated regularly.

    3.      You can go to this site, create an account, and follow any bill. By doing so, you will receive updates on their movement through the legislative process.

We know Rep. Ken King filed HB 430 last Tuesday, the second day to file bills. The bill reads: “Relating to the termination of the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program for retirees.” 

Understandably, as word got out about this, it created an uproar.  Friday, Rep. King put out this document: 


These are my thoughts on the bill and on Rep. King’s response:

  1. In the bill, why did Rep. King refer to it as “the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance” rather than as “TRS,” “TRS-Care” or “Teacher Retirement System”? Personally, I have never heard anyone refer to it the way Rep. King did. The suspicious side of me wonders if that was done in the hopes it would not be noticed.
  2. Why didn’t Rep. King include his entire plan on this bill but rather just the “termination” of insurance for TRS retirees?
  3.  For good reason, we (retired public-school employees) obviously have trust issues. As I read Rep. King’s final paragraph, I had to remember that he is rated “Friendly” by Texans for Public Education.  This group does extensive research and has T4PE members vote before rating our legislators “Friendly,” “Neutral,” or “Unfriendly” to public education.

     We definitely need to continue watching this bill—closely--although it is improbable that Rep. King’s plan will go anywhere because it involves giving public-ed retirees the same insurance as ERS retirees (including retired legislators).  Their insurance is inexplicably superior to ours.  Why have we, as public-school employees and retirees allowed this?

 

I read through all 580 of the bills that have been filed, as of today, and below are the ones related to public-ed, our students, and TRS. I have marked the three TRS-related bills in red. What troubles me is this:

1.          The Texas Legislature has not given TRS retirees a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) since 2013, and that only covered those who retired on or before August 31, 2004.

2.          Prior to the COLA that began in October of 2013, TRS retirees had not been given a COLA since 2001.

3.          Understand that this means any TRS member who has retired since September 1, 2004 has NEVER received a COLA!!!

4.          The 2017 Texas Legislature created a huge disparity between the insurance for TRS and ERS retirees.

5.          Despite all of this, there are currently only three bills that have been filed in the House related to TRS. WHY?

I urge you to peruse the filed bills in the list below, pick out the ones that concern/interest you most, and read my directions at the top of this post so you can follow them. 

House bills-Done!  In the next day or two, I will do the same with the Senate bills. I will update both lists as more bills are filed in each House, so keep checking back!

ARE YOU READY FOR JANUARY?


House Bills Filed

 

HB 24

Author:

Dominguez

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to funding for school districts to provide inclusive and accessible playgrounds.

 

HB 28

Author:

Neave

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to social work services in public schools.

 

HB 30

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to educational requirements for certain incarcerated students.

 

HB 40

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a cap on the monthly price of insulin and insulin supplies.

 

HB 41

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to class size limits and student/teacher ratios for prekindergarten classes provided by or on behalf of public schools.

 

HB 47

Author:

Canales

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

 

Caption:

Relating to presumptive coverage for school district employees that contract COVID-19.

 

HB 48

Author:

Zwiener

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the prohibition against sexual harassment in the workplace.

 

HB 51

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing an Office of Early Childhood to coordinate, consolidate and integrate early childhood programs.

 

HB 55

Author:

Swanson

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the carrying and possession of a concealed handgun by a school marshal.

HB 57

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to civics instruction in public schools.

 

HB 59

Author:

Murr

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the elimination of school district maintenance and operations ad valorem taxes and the creation of a joint interim committee on the elimination of those taxes.

 

HB 62

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the use of disciplinary alternatives to suspension by a school district and the creation of the restorative justice coordinating council.

 

HB 68

Author:

Toth

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the definition of abuse of a child.

 

HB 81

Author:

Rodriguez

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a public school campus's election under a campus turnaround plan to operate as a community school.

 

HB 82

Author:

Lucio III

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to pricing of and health benefit plan cost-sharing requirements for prescription insulin.

 

HB 97

Author:

Hinojosa

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the admission policy of an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 108

Author:

Hinojosa

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the suspension and expulsion of a student attending an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 129

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to requiring a digital citizenship curriculum.

 

HB 144

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to supplemental information required for inclusion with a written statement of an individualized education program developed for certain public school students who received special education services during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year.

 

HB 153

Author:

Gervin-Hawkins

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the inclusion of instruction regarding culturally inclusive curriculum reflecting the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of society.

 

HB 154

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing a program designed to ensure health benefit plan coverage to certain children through the private marketplace.

 

HB 159

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to improving training and staff development for primary and secondary educators to enable them to more effectively serve all students.

 

HB 163

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the compensatory education allotment for homeless students.

 

HB 165

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a supporting medically fragile children program for the provision of certain necessary health care services to those children.

 

HB 181

Author:

Thierry

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the employment of full-time registered nurses at public schools.

 

HB 189

Author:

Canales

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a severance payment to a superintendent or administrator serving as educational leader and chief executive officer of an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 193

Author:

Rose

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the destruction of juvenile court records of victims of sex trafficking.

 

 

 

 

HB 204

Author:

Thierry

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to requiring school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide a landline telephone or panic button in every classroom.

 

HB 220

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing resource campuses to improve a public school campus not performing satisfactorily.

 

HB 226

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to social work services in public schools.

 

HB 237

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to student access to certain academic records; authorizing a fee.

 

HB 240

Author:

Thompson, Senfronia

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the requirement and study of insurance coverage for serious emotional disturbance of a child

 

HB 244

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the establishment of a grant program for promoting computer science certification and professional development in coding, technology applications, and computer science for public school teachers.

 

HB 246

Author:

Murr

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper relationship between educator and student.

 

HB 247

Author:

Meza

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to employment leave for certain family or medical obligations.

 

HB 250

Author:

Meza

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing a minimum wage for school bus drivers.

 

HB 254

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to purchases made by a school district and open-enrollment charter school using the instructional materials and technology allotment.

 

HB 256

Author:

Cortez

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to addressing workplace bullying in school districts.

 

HB 278

Author:

Canales

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the appointment of an individual to a school district board of managers by the commissioner of education.

 

HB 287

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the employment of certified school counselors to comply with the ratio requirement of counselors to public school students.

 

HB 288

Author:

Stephenson

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district for maintenance and operations purposes of the total appraised value of a residence homestead and the offsetting of the resulting revenue loss to school districts with state sales and use tax revenue.

 

HB 301

Author:

Collier

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a certain requirement for an open-enrollment charter school's initial application or expansion amendment.

 

HB 305

Author:

Collier

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the composition of the student body of an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 332

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to expanding the compensatory education allotment to allow funds to be used to implement social-emotional learning programs.

 

HB 333

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing a Texas Service Corps to provide student loan relief, job training, and work experience, in exchange for providing community service in underserved areas.

 

HB 334

Author:

Gates

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to funding for career and technology programs in public schools.

 

HB 351

Author:

Talarico

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to air filtration efficiency standards at certain educational and child care facilities.

 

HB 353

Author:

Dutton

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the consideration of certain student differentials based on sex under the public school accountability system.

 

HB 363

Author:

VanDeaver

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to restricting the use of personally identifiable student information by an operator of a website, online service, online application, or mobile application used for a school purpose and providing an exemption from certain restrictions for a national assessment provider.

 

HB 370

Author:

Gervin-Hawkins

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the implementation of certain rules regarding public school accountability adopted by the commissioner of education or the Texas Education Agency.

 

HB 378

Author:

Reynolds

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to eliminating certain state-required end-of-course assessment instruments not required by federal law.

 

HB 382

Author:

Pacheco

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to eliminating the requirement to use public school assessment instruments as a criterion for promotion or graduation.

 

HB 384

Author:

Pacheco

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the period for which a school district's participation in certain tax increment financing reinvestment zones may be taken into account in determining the total taxable value of property in the school district.

 

HB 411

Author:

Johnson, Julie

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the terminology used to refer to an individualized education program team.

 

HB 422

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to speech protections for student publications in public schools.

 

HB 424

Author:

King, Ken

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a continuing review and revision of the essential knowledge and skills of the public school foundation curriculum and proclamations for the production of instructional materials.

 

HB 430

Author:

King, Ken

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the termination of the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program for retirees.

 

HB 434

Author:

Bell, Keith

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the curriculum requirements for public high school students.

 

HB 438

Author:

Goodwin

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the requirements for a request for the revision of a charter for an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 440

Author:

Johnson, Julie

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to health benefit coverage for hearing aids for children and adults.

 

HB 444

Author:

Allison

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to an appropriation of money from the economic stabilization fund to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

 

HB 450

Author:

González, Mary

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the establishment of a new open-enrollment charter school or campus and to the expansion of an open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 517

Author:

Beckley

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a school district policy regarding custodian workloads.

 

HB 518

Author:

Beckley

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to a study by the Texas Education Agency regarding recommended standards for school district facility maintenance and custodial services.

 

HB 523

Author:

Springer

Last Action:

11/10/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the career and technology education allotment under the Foundation School Program.

 

HB 526

Author:

White

Last Action:

11/12/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the time period during which a court must interview certain children in chambers on issues regarding conservatorship and residence in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

 

HB 538

Author:

Patterson

Last Action:

11/12/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the removal of restrictions on funding and payment of costs for certain full-time online educational programs.

 

HB 547

Author:

Frank

Last Action:

11/12/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to authorizing equal opportunity for access by home-schooled students to University Interscholastic League sponsored activities; authorizing a fee.

 

HB 550

Author:

Israel

Last Action:

11/12/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to prohibited retaliation against state or local public employees for reporting certain violations of law.

 

HJR 16

Author:

Bernal

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to limit the total amount of ad valorem taxes that a school district may impose on the residence homestead of an individual and the surviving spouse of the individual if the individual qualifies the property as the individual's residence homestead for 15 consecutive tax years and the school taxes on the property increase by at least 120 percent during that period.

 

HJR 19

Author:

Stephenson

Last Action:

11/09/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation by a school district for maintenance and operations purposes all or part of the appraised value of a residence homestead and to use state money to offset the resulting revenue loss to school districts.

 

HJR 27

Author:

White

Last Action:

11/12/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Proposing a constitutional amendment to reduce the allocation of certain general revenue to the economic stabilization fund and to use that revenue for certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) scholarships.

 

HB 568

Author:

Reynolds

 

Last Action:

11/13/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the election of trustees of certain school districts.

 

HB 572

Author:

Dutton

Last Action:

11/13/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to authorizing a dropout recovery competency-based educational pilot program provided through a campus or campus program charter or open-enrollment charter school.

 

HB 575

Author:

Johnson, Jarvis

Last Action:

11/16/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to the Department of Family and Protective Services enrolling certain foster children in the Preparation for Adult Living Program.

 

HB 577

Author:

Stephenson

Last Action:

11/16/2020 H Filed

Caption:

Relating to establishing a joint interim committee to study the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of implementing a pension revenue enhancement plan for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.


https://capitol.texas.gov/Reports/Report.aspx?LegSess=87R&ID=housefiled

 

HB -House Bill

 

Bills are used to make or amend laws. To take effect, bills must be passed by both chambers of the legislature (House and Senate) and approved by the governor.

HCR – House Concurrent Resolution

Concurrent resolutions may be used to request action from other entities, including Congress, or for memorials, congratulations, or commendations. They may also be used for administrative matters. Concurrent resolutions must be approved by both chambers and may require approval by the governor.

HJR – House Joint Resolution

Joint resolutions are used to propose amendments to the Texas Constitution, to ratify amendments to the U.S. Constitution, or to request a convention to consider amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Joint resolutions must be approved by both chambers but do not require approval by the governor.

HR – House Resolution

Simple resolutions are only considered by the chamber of origin. They do not require approval by the governor.

 

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now works as a freelance writer and editor and remains committed to education educators, and students. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen.)

2 comments:

  1. I don't know if your still responding to your blog since you haven't responded to the last couple of questions I've had over past couple of months.I know you've got alot going on with this virus, but I just wanted to let you know Biden has got a recommendation out to end wep completely. Don't know if anything will come from it but at least he's talking about it unlike all these other politicians, I haven't heard anything about it in months. All we can do is hope, you can probably Google it to find this information
    Stay safe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so sorry! Google used to always send messages if someone posted a comment! I have not received any!
      If you haven't seen this interview I did with Congressman Vicente Gonzalez about the WEP and the GPO, I hope you will watch it: https://fb.watch/30Cg_cjDVy/
      He insists that it is going to take educators (ALL public-ed employees and retirees, not just teachers), police officers, firefighters, and other affected public servants from across the country to get in the fight with us!
      We canNOT give up hope, but we must also be a vocal part of the fight!!!!
      Sorry again about the late response!

      Delete