PRESS RELEASE: TSTA APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF 13TH CHECK LEGISLATION

(AUSTIN, TX) – The Texas State Troopers Association (TSTA) applauds the Texas House for passing House Bill 886 on Second Reading, which provides a one-time supplemental payment of up to $2,000 to eligible retirees in the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS). After one final House vote, it will move to the Senate.

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This legislation brings some much-needed relief to retired state employees, including many TSTA members who dedicated their careers to protecting and serving the people of Texas.

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“We’re deeply grateful to Representative Cody Vasut and the bill’s supporters for recognizing the financial strain faced by retirees,” said Rohnnie Shaw, Executive Director of TSTA. “This supplemental payment is a meaningful step, and our members appreciate the House’s commitment to showing that their service still matters.”

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TSTA remains committed to advocating for a permanent, ongoing cost-of-living adjustment. State retirees have gone more than two decades without a real COLA — despite rising living costs and the increasing difficulty of making fixed retirement incomes stretch.

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“HB 886 is progress. We celebrate it, and we urge the Senate to pass it,” Shaw continued. “But it must be the beginning — not the end — of a serious, sustained conversation about retirement security for those who served Texas with honor.”

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