March 12, 2024, is Equal Pay Day, and it's imperative to pay attention to the disparity in wage rates between men and women and the implications for retirement security. 

In May 2023, Americans are invited to join in celebrating Older Americans Month – a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of older Americans to our nation’s culture and society. U.S. population statistics show that the number of Americans age 65 and older is expected to double over the next 25 years – making it more important than ever for TEXPERS members to appreciate and value the contributions of this segment of our population. Join us as we explore why celebrating Older Americans Month is so important for all of us!

TEXPERS System Members will likely keep an eye on the Senate Committee on State Affairs, which reviews legislation under its purview, including pension regulations, during the 88th Legislative Session. 

The first week of Texas' 88th Legislative Session is in recess until Jan. 17, ending a day of debates in the House and drawing of terms in the Senate. 

UPDATE 1/10/23 - Texas' 88th legislative session adjourned on Jan. 10 after completing opening ceremonies during which Gov. Greg Abbott congratulated newly elected and re-elected members of the House and Senate as well as Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who was reelected today as House Speaker for the session.

Nov. 14 was the first day of bill prefiling for Texas' upcoming 88th Legislative Session, and 921 bills and resolutions were filed (646 House bills and 198 Senate bills). 

It's election day in the United States. Here's what you need to know as you head to the polls.

In 2018, public pension benefit dollars represented between 0.4% and 1.1% on average of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for each county type in Texas. New research indicates that public pension plans have a particularly positive economic impact on small towns and rural communities.

Want to save on your travel expenses for TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 21-23, 2022? Reduce your costs by saving on your room, but do it quickly before the special rate ends on July 29!

Robert "Bob" May, a former actuary member of the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems through his more than 50-year career as a principal actuary at Rudd and Wisdom Inc., died May 24, 2022. 

Amundi Asset Management is serving as a Gold Keynote Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum to be held Aug. 21-23, 2022, in El Paso, Texas.

Below is a list of upcoming or recently held interim Texas legislative hearings TEXPERS' System Members and others interested in managing public employee pensions in the state might be interested in following. The topics either directly or indirectly impact pension management or governance issues. 

There are an estimated 15.1 million full-time and 4.7 million part-time employees working in state and local governments in the U.S., according to the 2020 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll, the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The Institutional Limited Partners Association's ILPA Institute will be in Austin May 11-12, 2022, offering its executive education programming for trustees. The Private Equity for Trustee course explores the basic aspects of the private equity asset class, the economics of a private equity investment, the current state of the market, and its external perception. The program fee is $1499 and will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the DLA Piper Austin Office, 303 Colorado St., Suite 3000, in Austin. For more information and to register, contact Mandy Ilk at [email protected].

The following list is a compilation of the upcoming interim legislative hearings that might interest TEXPERS' System Members. Hearing dates and times are subject to change. Please note that additional hearings dates may also be added at any time. Items directly impacting pensions are highlighted in yellow.

Due to the impending retirement of three Texas senators, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced on March 23 the appointments of their replacements to serve on committees during the interim leading up to the 88th Legislative Session.

Public pension fund trustees and administrators benefit from participating in TEXPERS conferences by receiving valuable education and connecting with other professionals committed to securing retirement for public employees. Your next opportunity to boost your professional skills is during our Annual Conference April 3-6, 2022, at The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Texas 2022 Primary Election is set for Tuesday, March 1st, 2022. Due to redistricting, all 181 legislative seats are up for re-election this year. If needed, primary election runoffs will be held on May 24th, 2022.