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Check out our updates about the 83rd Legislative Session.

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Legislative Updates

SB 1458 Continues to Progress

Senate Bill 1458, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) “actuarial soundness” bill, continues to move through the legislative process. As we mentioned in our previous update, several amendments that were added to SB 1458 as it was debated in the House of Representatives must be discussed and negotiated before the bill is finalized.

One such amendment expands the cost-of-living increase to TRS members who retired in 2004 or before. Other amendments that were adopted grandfather all non-vested active TRS employees from early-retirement penalties and provide retirees with a 13^th check.

After the bill passed the House and was returned to the Senate for consideration, the Senate indicated that it did not concur with all of the amendments. This means the bill must now be negotiated in a conference committee.

The Senate has selected the following members to serve on the SB 1458 conference committee: Senators Robert Duncan, Wendy Davis, Kel Seliger, Kirk Watson and Tommy Williams. We expect the House conferees to be named sometime today.

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Features

TRTA 60th Anniversary Video

LaDonna Gatlin Sings "Diamonds for TRTA"

During the banquet at the 60th Annual TRTA Convention, LaDonna Gatlin performed a song she created especially for our members. You can hear the song ("Diamonds for TRTA") at the link below. Thank you LaDonna for a great evening and for your dedication to public education!

Click here to hear the song.

TRTA 60th Convention Wrap Up and Convention Downloads

A complete convention wrap up and downloads from the guest speakers and break out session presenters are available by clicking "Read More" below.

TRS-Care Medicare Advantage Information

Want to know more about the new TRS-Care Medicare Advantage plan? View the Aetna Medicare Advantage presentation (http://trta.org/docs/TRS-Care_Workshops.pdf) and video (http://trs.aetnamedicare.com/video_window.html) to learn more. To inquire about whether or not your doctor is in the network or to ask coverage questions, call Aetna at the following number: 1-866-217-2409 (TDD: 711).

You may also use DocFind to locate physicians and hospitals in Aetna's Medicare Advantage network and other participating health care professionals. In DocFind, choose the Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO) on the drop-down menu to find Medicare providers. Search by name, zip code, city, state, specialty and/or hospital affiliation.

Day at the Capitol

TRTA Day at the Capitol Was A Huge Success!
On Wednesday, March 20, TRTA held its Day at the Capitol event. Over 1000 TRTA members came to Austin to raise awareness about issues important to Texas public education retirees and encourage immediate legislative action to address them! We still need your help! Download flyers used during the event and send them to your legislators TODAY!