Monitoring the Session

SB 2866

bill adding pet insurance to state employee benefits

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Royce WestDSenate 23

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 the benefits available under the supplemental optional benefits program for state employees by the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The comptroller can add more benefits without the Legislature.

The bill adds pet insurance to the list of optional extra benefits state employees can buy through the state's supplemental benefits program. It also lets the comptroller or the Employees Retirement System of Texas approve any other benefit for the program without coming back to the Legislature. State employees get more voluntary options, and the two agencies gain open-ended power to decide what those options are.

Labels

Labels: 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-SB2866 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the benefits available under the supplemental optional benefits program for state employees by the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

WHAT IT DOES

The comptroller can add more benefits without the Legislature.

The bill adds pet insurance to the list of optional extra benefits state employees can buy through the state's supplemental benefits program. It also lets the comptroller or the Employees Retirement System of Texas approve any other benefit for the program without coming back to the Legislature. State employees get more voluntary options, and the two agencies gain open-ended power to decide what those options are.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

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
Other filed descriptions $32,032.00fundraiser $4,300.00

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.

Team
Sources

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.

Erle Allen Nye Jr.$15,000.00
Money

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
Other filed descriptions $32,032.00fundraiser $4,300.00

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.

Team
Sources

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

Subjects

Retirement Systems--State Employees

State Employees

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & LEAVE

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS (ERS)

Text

The text as introduced · 156 words

89R12762 CXP-F

By: West
S.B. No. 2866

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the benefits available under the supplemental optional

benefits program for state employees by the Employees Retirement

System of Texas.

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

SECTION 1. Section 659.102(c), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) The supplemental optional benefits program may include

permanent life insurance, catastrophic illness insurance,

disability insurance, pet insurance, supplemental health

insurance, prepaid legal services, [ or ] a qualified transportation

benefit , or any other benefit approved by the comptroller or the

Employees Retirement System of Texas .

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.