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!

There is a bill on the Texas Senate Calendar for April 19 that relates to the fiduciary responsibilities of the governing bodies of public retirement systems in the state and their investment managers and proxy advisors.

House Committee on Pensions, Investment, and Financial Services members met on March 1 to discuss the Employee Retirement System and the Teacher Retirement System, among other topics.

When you attend a pensions and investment conference, taking notes can be invaluable. Jotting down notes will help you remember topics and ideas for managing the secure retirement of your fund's annuitants.

As conference attendees, finding a convenient and comfortable place to stay can be difficult. Staying at the on-site hotel of a conference venue is more convenient than staying off-site. 

State and local government public pensions weren't among Gov. Greg Abbot's State of the State address on Feb. 16; however, he did discuss the importance of the public education system in Texas, touted previous increases to teacher pay, and said the current legislative session could do even more for the educational system and teachers. 

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.

People 65 and older experienced an increase in poverty in 2021, according to the official poverty measure from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Bureau recently highlighted data from its Poverty in the United States: 2021 report originally released in September 2022 as the nation prepares to observe Poverty Awareness Month in the United States this January 2023.

Legislation that includes retirement provisions affecting public safety employees and state and local government retirement plans is nearing passage on Capitol Hill as part of an end-of-year omnibus spending bill. 

At 10 a.m. CST on Thursday, Dec. 8, the Texas Pension Review Board will meet to review the actuarial soundness and compliance of state and local government public retirement systems. Those interested in managing public employee pension systems may attend in person or via videoconference. 

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). 

The Texas Pension Review Board meets at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in Austin at the Capitol Extension, Room E2.028, located at 1100 Congress Avenue. 

There's a lot of research out there, especially regarding retirement, pensions, and investment management. And it seems everyone conducts and publishes it in some form - books, briefs, multi-page reports.

Administrators and trustees of public retirement systems must act in the best interests of their beneficiaries, exercise good faith in their duties, seek professional services, and supervise those to whom functions are assigned. To put it simply - you're a leader. 

Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic citizens in the country. 

This report, compiled by TEXPERS legislative consultants and staff in attendance, is intended to give you an overview and highlight the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but based on what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

Napier Park Global is a Silver Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum Aug. 21-23 in El Paso, Texas, and is sending Amit Sanghani, managing director and product specialist for the firm's global credit and real asset strategies.

As a Silver Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum in El Paso, Texas, Oxford Funds, LLC will send Senior Portfolio Manager Deep Maji to present.

William Blair Investment Management is a Silver Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum Aug. 21-23 in El Paso, Texas, and is sending hard currency portfolio manager Jared Lou from the firm's emerging markets debt team to present.