February 25, 2015 11:27 AM

Updated: House Leadership commits to fully funding TRS Care

"This is going to give us two years...to help our teachers permanently."

Texas House leadership on Wednesday committed to fully funding health care for retired teachers across the state for the next two years. “The House appreciates retired educators,” Speaker Joe Straus tweeted shortly after Quorum Report broke the news.

House Appropriations Chairman Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, initially made the promise toward the end of the morning meeting of his powerful committee.

Later in the day, on the House floor, Otto talked with Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, about the fact that doing this is a commitment to teachers but is in no way a final solution to TRS Care’s financial situation. "This is going to give us two years...to sit down and work with you to come up with what we can look forward to to help our teachers permanently,” Keffer said.

On Tuesday, Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, included TRS Care’s needs as one of the reasons he cannot yet support a $4.6 billion tax cut proposal laid out by Senate leadership. He estimated about $800 million was needed to shore up the system.

The Texas Retired Teachers Association pegs the price tag at $762 million.