SB 2865
West Bill Lets Retirement Board Approve Any New Benefit
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Caption mismatch
The caption describes the types of benefits the system offers. The operative change hands the board an open-ended power to approve any new benefit type, which the caption does not mention.
Caption mismatchInitial 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 types of benefits offered by the retirement system.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Category four: “benefits approved by the board.” The Legislature doesn’t have to name them.
The bill rewrites the short list of benefit types that the retirement system governed by Section 824.001 of the Government Code may pay, adding a fourth category: "benefits approved by the board." It touches the system's board and the members and retirees who draw service, disability, or death benefits, and it also adds the word "deducted" to what the system handles. In practice, the board gains open-ended power to create new kinds of benefits on its own, without the Legislature naming them, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 133 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 133 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate Finance committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB2865 · 2025-03-14
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to types of benefits offered by the retirement system.
WHAT IT DOES
Category four: “benefits approved by the board.” The Legislature doesn’t have to name them.
The bill rewrites the short list of benefit types that the retirement system governed by Section 824.001 of the Government Code may pay, adding a fourth category: "benefits approved by the board." It touches the system's board and the members and retirees who draw service, disability, or death benefits, and it also adds the word "deducted" to what the system handles. In practice, the board gains open-ended power to create new kinds of benefits on its own, without the Legislature naming them, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[x] CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 40%
The caption describes the types of benefits the system offers. The operative change hands the board an open-ended power to approve any new benefit type, which the caption does not mention.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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 Jun 30, 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.
Skyview Development LLC$36,332.00
Skyview Development LLC
$36,332.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $36,332.00
- Total
- $36,332.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 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: 100987569, 101009506, 101058878, 101063137.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$20,000.00
- Cash
- $20,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $20,000.00
Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 10, 2025. 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: 100987569, 101063137.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Skyview Development LLC
$36,332.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $36,332.00
- Total
- $36,332.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 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: 100987569, 101009506, 101058878, 101063137.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$20,000.00
- Cash
- $20,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $20,000.00
Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 10, 2025. 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: 100987569, 101063137.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025
04/07/2025 S Referred to Finance
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Finance · Final status: Died in committee
Companion
HB 5535 by Bryant (identical)
Subjects
Retirement Systems--Teachers
Text
The text as introduced · 133 words
By: West S.B. No. 2865 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to types of benefits offered by the retirement system. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 824.001, Government Code is amended as to read follows: Sec. 824.001. TYPES OF BENEFITS. The types of benefits payable or deducted by the retirement system are: (1) service retirement benefits; (2) disability retirement benefits; and (3) death benefits . ; and (4) benefits approved by the board. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.