Monitoring the Session

HB 5632

bill rewriting beneficiary changes for state retirees

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to a change of beneficiary by a retiree of the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Who gets survivor benefits after an Employees Retirement System of Texas retiree dies.

The bill rewrites the state law that lets retired state employees in the Employees Retirement System of Texas change who gets their survivor benefits after they die. It touches retirees on certain optional or cash balance annuities and their spouses, former spouses and named beneficiaries. A retiree may make one change of beneficiary, but needs a spouse's or former spouse's notarized consent or a court order if that person was the original pick, and the new beneficiary is paid only for the shorter of the original beneficiary's life expectancy or the new beneficiary's life.

Labels

Labels: CROSS-PARTY HANDOFF. Lead author Ryan Guillen (R) in the House. Lead sponsor Judith Zaffirini (D) in the Senate. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Finance committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5632 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31

ITEM

relating to a change of beneficiary by a retiree of the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

WHAT IT DOES

Who gets survivor benefits after an Employees Retirement System of Texas retiree dies.

The bill rewrites the state law that lets retired state employees in the Employees Retirement System of Texas change who gets their survivor benefits after they die. It touches retirees on certain optional or cash balance annuities and their spouses, former spouses and named beneficiaries. A retiree may make one change of beneficiary, but needs a spouse's or former spouse's notarized consent or a court order if that person was the original pick, and the new beneficiary is paid only for the shorter of the original beneficiary's life expectancy or the new beneficiary's life.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 7, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent
  12. Reported favorably as substituted
  13. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  14. Committee report distributed
  15. Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar
  16. Considered in Local & Consent Calendars
  17. Placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar
  18. Read 2nd time
  19. Passed to engrossment
  20. Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote RV#2818
  24. Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the House
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 124 yea · 7 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ryan Guillen

Donors

Frontera Texas PAC$160KTexas Sands PAC$121KAssociated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$23K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Frontera Texas PAC$160,007.97

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

Texas Sands PAC$120,875.00

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$22,795.90

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101070155.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

×

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101070155.

Votes1

House May 16, 2025

Yea
124
Nay
7
Present, not voting
2
Absent
4
Excused
13
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2818

HB 5632 (Cunningham, Hull, Metcalf, Oliverson, Patterson, Slawson, and Troxclair - no) (124 - 7 - 2)

Shared roll motion

The following bills which were considered on second reading on the previous legislative day on the local, consent, and resolutions calendar were laid before the house, read third time, and passed by the following record vote (members registering votes and the results of the vote are shown following the bill number). (Record 2818): 131 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 124 (published)
  • Nay: 7 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 13 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses2
For
0
Against
1
On
1
Names

Against

  • Self1 registration

On

  • Employees Retirement System of Texas1 registration
Sources

2 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 7, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/19/2025 S Referred to Finance

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Sponsors
Judith ZaffiriniDSenate 21

House committee · Pensions, Investments & Financial Services · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Finance · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Retirement Systems--State Employees

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS (ERS)

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

By: Guillen
H.B. No. 5632

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a change of beneficiary by a retiree of the Employees

Retirement System of Texas.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sec. 814.008, Government Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 814.008. CHANGE OF BENEFICIARY AFTER RETIREMENT.

(a) A retiree receiving an optional service or disability

retirement annuity approved by the board of trustees or described

by Section 814.108(c)(1), (c)(2), or (c)(5) or receiving an

optional cash balance annuity described by Section 820.0535(c)(1),

(c)(2), or (c)(5) may change the designated beneficiary as provided

by this section for the benefits payable after the retiree's death.

(b) If the beneficiary designated at the time of the

retiree's retirement is the current spouse or former spouse of the

retiree:

(1) the current spouse or former spouse must give

written, notarized consent to the change; or

(2) a court with jurisdiction over the marriage must

have ordered the change.

(c) A beneficiary designated under this section is entitled

on the retiree's death to receive monthly payments of the survivor's

portion of the retiree's optional retirement annuity for the

shorter of:

(1) the remainder of the life expectancy of the

beneficiary designated as of the effective date of the retiree's

retirement; or

(2) the remainder of the new beneficiary's life.

(d) A retiree may not change a beneficiary under this

section after retirement if the retiree has previously changed

after retirement a beneficiary for optional retirement annuity

payments under this subtitle.

SECTION 2. This Act applies to a retiree who makes a change

of beneficiary under this section on, before or after the effective

date of this Act regardless of the date on which the previous

annuity selection was made.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.