COLA bills we're tracking
No COLA bills listed yet. We add a bill only after we've read its text on the Legislature's website, so this list may lag the news by a few days. A filed bill is not a raise: most bills never pass.
Want to look yourself? Search "Teacher Retirement System" on capitol.texas.gov.
Key dates
- Bill prefiling opens
- Session starts (second Tuesday in January)
- Session ends (day 140)
- Last day for the governor to sign or veto
- Constitutional amendment election, if a COLA needs voter approval like 2023's did
General information about the Texas legislative calendar, not from TRS. Check capitol.texas.gov for official dates.
How it went last time
- Legislature passes SB 10 and HJR 2
- Voters approve Proposition 9
- Increase shows up in January 2024 payments
Source: TRS: 2023 Retiree Benefit Enhancements. The 2023 increase needed both a law and a constitutional amendment, so voters had the final say.
What would a COLA add to your check?
Hypothetical. No percentage has been proposed or passed. Use your current monthly annuity before deductions.
Past COLAs weren't the same for everyone. In 2024, people who retired earlier got bigger increases, and people who retired after Aug. 31, 2020 got none (see every past COLA).
What we know for sure
- No automatic raises. The TRS plan doesn't include regular cost-of-living increases. Any increase must be authorized by the Texas Legislature (Handbook p. 32).
- The last one was January 2024. It was a permanent 2%, 4% or 6% increase that depended on your retirement date. There have been 7 permanent increases since 1993.
- Took a PLSO? A COLA is usually figured on your reduced annuity, so a Partial Lump Sum Option also shrinks future raises (Handbook p. 37).
- One-time payments are different. A stipend or "13th check" is paid once and doesn't raise your monthly annuity.
The other number retirees watch each year is the health premium: see TRS-Care premiums by year.
Questions
Will TRS retirees get a COLA in 2027?
Not yet decided. No 2027 COLA has passed. The 90th Texas Legislature has not met yet. Any increase has to be passed by the Legislature, which meets starting January 2027. We list COLA bills here once they're filed and we've read them.
Is there a TRS COLA on the November 2026 ballot?
Posts saying a TRS COLA is on the November 2026 ballot are not accurate. The COLA vote was Proposition 9, on the November 2023 ballot, and voters approved it.
Does TRS give automatic cost-of-living increases?
No. The TRS Benefits Handbook says the plan does not provide regular cost-of-living increases. Any increase after retirement must be authorized by the Texas Legislature (p. 32).
When was the last TRS COLA?
January 2024: 2%, 4% or 6%, depending on when you retired. People who retired after Aug. 31, 2020 didn't get it.
If a COLA passes in 2027, when would it be paid?
That depends on the bill. Last time, the Legislature passed it in May 2023, voters approved it in November 2023, and it first appeared in January 2024 payments.
Source: TRS Benefits Handbook, September 2025, p. 32. TRS: 2023 Retiree Benefit Enhancements (saved Nov. 11, 2026). Session dates: general information, not from TRS. Last reviewed .