Texas educators deserve better than broken promises and one-time checks. Despite a historic push for pension reform this legislative session, the 89th Legislature failed to pass meaningful, educator-focused retirement legislation. The only pension-related bill to make it across the finish line – Senate Bill 667 – was a narrow technical fix unrelated to the core issue facing retired educators: the rising cost of living.
That leaves retired school employees living on an average monthly Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefit of just $2,199 — with no guarantee that amount will ever increase. As you’ll recall, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 9 in 2023, delivering the first statewide cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in nearly two decades. But one-time relief isn’t enough. It was never designed to solve the larger problem of Texas still lacking automatic, annual pension increases tied to inflation. This must change.
What We Asked For
As spelled out in our Educator’s Bill of Rights, public school employees have a right to a secure retirement. Our Texas AFT Retiree Plus members continue to lead the charge at the Capitol, sharing their stories in committee hearings and meeting one-on-one with lawmakers to demand a retirement system that keeps up with the cost of living. Their ask was simple: Retirees’ cost of living goes up every year due to inflation, but their annuities remain stagnant. Cost-of-living adjustments for TRS pensions should be automatic and tied to inflation.
Here’s an overview of bills that were filed in support of this right:
- SB 174 (Sen. José Menéndez): Proposed a one-time COLA for TRS retirees.
- HB 1596 (Rep. Mihaela Plesa): Would have tied TRS pensions to inflation for annual automatic adjustments.
- HB 5322 (Rep. Jeffrey Barry): Called for a one-time supplemental payment to TRS retirees by January 2026.
- HB 5156 (Rep. John Bryant): Proposed a one-time 6% COLA.
- HB 5191 (Rep. John Smithee): Proposed a one-time 2% COLA for TRS retirees.
- SB 573 (Sen. Sarah Eckhardt): Would have offered a COLA for retirees in the Employees Retirement System (ERS), showing the need for statewide pension equity.
None of these bills even made it out of committee. The message to retirees? Wait. Again.
Why It Matters
While lawmakers spent this session advancing politically motivated voucher schemes and book bans, they let our retired public servants fall further behind financially. Educators spend decades shaping the future of Texas, and they deserve a future where they can afford groceries, medication, and housing.
And now that the Legislature has rammed through a school voucher program, we’re left waiting to see how this absurd and unaccountable spending spree will affect the state’s ability to fund TRS in the long term. Diverting public dollars to private interests harms students, and it threatens the financial health of the very system our retirees depend on.
It’s clear: unless we secure automatic, inflation-adjusted COLAs, Texas will continue to abandon its commitment to the people who built its public schools. Texas AFT appreciates these efforts by legislators who recognize the financial constraints our retirees are facing after years of record levels of inflation. We know many legislators have heard directly from our Retiree Plus members who tell compelling stories of how past annuity adjustments significantly helped them and their families.
Our Advocacy Works — Even When It’s Slow
Progress at the state level may feel frustratingly slow, but we’ve seen what persistent advocacy can do. After decades of organizing, educators nationwide just celebrated a massive federal victory: former President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, finally repealing the unjust Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These outdated rules penalized Texas educators and other public servants by slashing their Social Security benefits, even after they paid into the system.
That win didn’t come overnight. It took years of testimony, petitions, phone calls, and relentless organizing from union retirees and allies across the country. And it’s proof that when we fight together, we can win real change.