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State Employee Pay Raises
The Texas Legislature has not invested in a general state employee pay raise since 2014. Inadequate state compensation has caused a growing crisis in employee turnover that threatens the continued delivery of state services.

TPEA supports increased state funding for state employee pay raises to stabilize the workforce and enable state agencies to recruit and retain an efficient and skilled workforce. TPEA supports and advocates for:

• General inflation-adjusted pay raises for all state employees in both years of the 2024-25 biennium
• State agencies’ legislative appropriation requests for targeted and inflation-adjusted pay raises, including retention payments
• Texas State Auditor’s recommendation in the Biennial Report on the State’s Position Classification Plan for the 2024-2025 biennium

Remote Work
TPEA supports maintaining current state law, allowing a hybrid work environment where state agencies can manage their workforce effectively.

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Annuity Adjustment or 13th Check for ERS retirees
The purchasing power of pensions earned by retired state employees has declined significantly over the past two decades. Workers who retired since the last annuity adjustment in 2001 have seen the value of their pension checks reduced by as much as 40%.

TPEA believes an annuity adjustment for ERS retirees is long overdue, and the last benefit increase was in 2001. Given the drastic effects of inflation coupled with the sheer length of time since any annuity adjustment, the TPEA Board of Directors supports:

An additional one-time legacy payment to the retirement fund accelerates actuarial soundness and allows the ERS trust fund to provide ERS retirees a COLA or Cost-of-Living Increase.

Funding for a 13th Check or other supplemental payment.

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Retirement and Insurance
TPEA Supports ERS’ Appropriations Requests on retirement and insurance for both active and retired state employees, including money for:

• State employee and retiree health insurance - support continuing the benefits and premium structure of the existing ERS health plan.

• Employees’ Retirement Program

• ERS Retirement Plan Legacy Payment

• Law Enforcement and Custodial Officers Supplemental Fund (Normal Cost and Debt Reduction)

• Retiree death benefit

• ERS retirement plan legacy payment method of finance exchange

• Financial assistance to survivors of law enforcement officers and firefighters