Bill

SB 19

85(1) - 2017
Finance
House Appropriations
Finance
House Appropriations

Vote Recommendation

Vote No; Amend
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Negative
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Jane Nelson

Sponsor(s)

John Zerwas

Bill Caption

Relating to an appropriation of money from the economic stabilization fund to decrease participants' health insurance costs for certain health benefit plans administered by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB19, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.

Bill Analysis

This bill would appropriate $212.7 Million from the Economic Stabilization Fund to the retired school employees group insurance fund for the purpose of decreasing premiums and deductibles that would otherwise be paid during the 2018 and 2019 plan years by participants in the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program. 

Vote Recommendation Notes

We did not oppose this bill when it was in the Senate, however it has been changed significantly since we first reported on it. The House committee substitute for this bill violates our limited government principle by raiding the ESF to fund expenditures that should be funded by general revenue if they are to be funded at all. We oppose CSSB 19 unless amended to restore the Senate funding mechanism for this expense. Should such an amendment be adopted, we would withdraw our objection.