| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Relating to preventing the loss of benefits by certain retirees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas who resume service during a declared disaster.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 3207 would prohibit TRS from withholding benefit payments to a person who gets a job in a declared disaster area during a declared disaster.
Texas Action opposes HB 3207 because it violates the limited government principle. This bill would allow retirees receiving benefit payments from TRS to retain those payments while getting a job that would otherwise disqualify them, provided they are in a declared disaster area during the declared disaster. As the last year as shown us, this could mean the entire state and for more than a year, during a pandemic like Covid-19. This bill would not only allow retirees to double-dip but it could put excess strain on taxpayers during a period where they need tax relief the most.