New Year, New Training Rules: How to Stay Compliant with Texas Pension Education Requirements in 2025
On Jan. 1, administrators and trustees of public employee retirement systems will have new rules regarding the state's Minimum Educational Training requirements. In this post will explain why this happened and provide tips on the next steps you need to take.
What Happened
The Pension Review Board, the state agency mandated to oversee state and local public employee retirement systems regarding their actuarial soundness, recently adopted new minimum educational training, or MET, requirements for system administrators and trustees. The changes include new rules for system administrator and trustee MET cycles and transitional language, according to a post on the PRB's social media channel, LinkedIn.
Understanding Your Continuing Education Cycle: Important Dates and Requirements for 2025
If you're a trustee or administrator new to your role, here's a breakdown of how the upcoming Continuing Education cycles will work starting in 2025.
For New Trustees and Administrators:
If you began your service in 2024, here's what you need to know:
- Completed Core Training by Dec. 31, 2024: You'll begin your first CE cycle on Jan. 1, 2025.
- Haven't Completed Core Training by Dec. 31, 2024: You have the full year of 2025 to complete this requirement. Once completed, your first CE cycle will officially start in 2026.
For Trustees and Administrators in a CE Cycle Starting in 2024:
- Started CE Cycle in 2024: Any CE hours completed in 2024 can be applied to your first one-year CE cycle in 2025.
For Trustees and Administrators in a CE Cycle Starting in 2023:
- Started CE Cycle in 2023: You'll begin a new CE cycle on Jan. 1, 2025, but any hours completed in 2024 will not carry over.
If You're Noncompliant with Previous CE Requirements:
Anyone who is noncompliant with a previous cycle will stay in that status until all outstanding required credit hours are completed.
The new rules can be found here.
What's Happening Next
The Pension Review Board is hosting a webinar about the new rules from 2-2:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 13. During the training, agency officials will discuss the changes and answer questions. Those interested in attending should email [email protected] to receive a webinar invitation.
The Pension Review Board will record the session and make it available to those who cannot attend. TEXPERS is planning to attend and will provide a follow-up report. Remember to revisit this site for updates.
General Information You Should Know About Training
Understanding MET Training Requirements for Trustees and Administrators
The Minimum Education Training requirements are split into Core and Continuing Education training. Here's the breakdown:
- Core Training: These courses focus on essential skills and knowledge about public pensions, helping trustees and administrators build a strong foundation. Core courses must be completed within your first year in the role, and they can also count toward future CE cycles if retaken.
- Continuing Education Training: These courses go beyond the basics, helping trustees and administrators deepen their expertise in areas relevant to their duties. CE courses count only toward your ongoing CE requirements and are designed to keep you updated on more advanced topics.
This structure ensures that you start with a solid base and continue learning to support your role effectively.
How Trustees and Administrators Can Earn Training Credits
TEXPERS, as an Accredited Training Provider through the Pension Review Board, offers courses that automatically qualify for training credit, making it easy for trustees and administrators to meet their training needs. You have two options for earning credit hours:
- Courses from Accredited Providers: Training from TEXPERS or other accredited providers qualify for credit without prior approval—unless the course is on a topic outside the provider's accredited areas.
- Individual Course Approval: If you're considering a course from a provider not accredited by the Pension Review Board, you or your system can submit an Individual Course Approval Application. Ideally, this should be submitted 30 days before the course. However, if needed, the PRB may approve applications submitted less than 30 days in advance or even after the course.
This approach ensures flexibility in meeting your training requirements.
About the Author:Allen Jones is the director of communications and event marketing for TEXPERS. He joined the Association in 2017. Before TEXPERS, he worked in the news media industry, producing content for newspapers, magazines, and online publications and leading newsrooms as an editor and publications manager. [email protected]