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A law that allows families to use public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education at a private school will go into effect on Sept. 1, 2025. 

Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation authorizing a private school voucher program into law, marking the grand finale of an oftentimes ugly conflict that has largely defined Texas politics this decade. 

Senate Bill 2 will allow families to use public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education at an accredited private school or to pay for a wide range of school-related expenses, like textbooks, transportation or therapy. The program will be one of the largest school voucher initiatives in the nation. 

⏭️Chanel 5 News LINK & VIDEO

Today, January 5, 2025 President Joe Biden signed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, into law. With this signing, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) are finally repealed!

Members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) have been awaiting this moment anxiously since the bill’s passage in the Senate on December 20, 2024 after passing in the U.S. House on November 12.

TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee attended the bill signing at the White House in Washington, D.C. sharing several photos and a live video on TRTA’s Facebook page.

TRTA is proud of the bipartisan work done by the House and Senate to pass H.R. 82! As our members know, TRTA and many other organizations across the country have been working to repeal these harmful provisions for more than four decades.

TRTA will share news about when and how benefits may be handled as those details become available, including when benefits will be paid. Please bear in mind the Social Security Administration may need several months to process benefit changes for more than 2.5 million Americans affected by WEP and/or GPO. We ask for your patience as we work to gather more information.

Thank you all for your membership and support of TRTA. We hope you can see the value in your association. Please ask others to join us. It will take all TRS retirees working with us and making the investment necessary in this organization to protect what we have achieved!

Please support us today and renew your membership dues! If you are not a member, please join today! It may be the best $35 you spend every year to protect and improve your livelihood and income as we continue to fight for your retirement security!

TRTA is turning its attention back to the upcoming Texas 89th Legislative Session that begins on January 14. Please stay tuned to the Inside Line!