[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6264366,"mediaKeyId","3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24","parentId",3096785,"title","Senate Finance committee adopts substitute for bill to reform Austin firefighters’ pension","audioSeconds",1336,"startMs",49195,"endMs",1385330,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24&start=49&end=1385","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24/thumbnail_49195.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264366/Texas/Senate-Finance-committee-adopts-substitute-for-bill-to-reform-Austin-firefighters-pension","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264366-7cc553449afa2cd8eadc54dae5036a30/orig.mp4?Expires=1771018172&Signature=BHyyZtQXMPjY4zo5CsLzCvVmtI33ZS9zmyZYIu~Q-7ky0XR9qnUoG43QVZjwlB4r7kxXz8mtlXKA6w-DGXC2YbdIBRwjgvBS52wBL~SDx5B3q5sF8Y3J9zDQUx5PrfZjV~6xBeg4bH7gfbV8D8geCK08UxfaCZ7moqroy4aFNRlRRZS0s0EK45SFZfXzxp7eTSuo~55ugBrdYnQfuuPVNx5JQ7YfKVjJ0T57-udGXejQD2QZ63M-2QGin3AKuwDsYeKZQV1PPrgC6mYJwf3FRhkMqbTd0HgMCb9p66kRX6A1nz~TIyteXjD7mVXOv3FlgWRUBO~RyjIzrRFNNjtciA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Finance on Oct. 12 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 2345 that would reform the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund through a negotiated, voluntary funding-soundness restoration plan agreed to by the city of Austin and the retirement fund.

The substitute, described to the committee as an \"agreed to bill,\" would create a new reduced-benefit tier for firefighters hired on or after Jan. 1, 2026; modify the cost-of-living-adjustment structure for current retirees with stronger financial guardrails for future COLAs; and establish an actuarially determined employer contribution model to pay down legacy liabilities over a 30-year period. Committee staff said the proposal would amortize a legacy liability of $327,000,000 plus $31,000,000 related to 2024 asset losses through increased contributions from the city and the fund membership.

The nut of committee testimony was that the substitute represents a negotiated compromise intended to preserve core benefits for current members while restoring long-term actuarial soundness. Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, who also serves by statute as chair of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund, called the substitute \"an agreed to bill\" and said it \"assures actuarial soundness, and what it does is it respects and it honors the work and the public service of the Austin Firefighters.\" He thanked committee staff and the bill sponsors for facilitating the agreement.

Actuarial and fund representatives told the committee the substitute follows models used for earlier reforms to the Austin Police Retirement Fund and the City of Austin employee retirement plan. Anumeha Kumar, executive director of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund, said the fund \"fully supports the bill\" and described the measure as a fiscally responsible path to sustainability. Ed Vanino, chief financial officer for the city of Austin, described the proposal as a \"fair agreed to bill\" that shares future funding risk between the city and fund members.

Trustees and retired members also testified in support. Doug Fowler, a trustee and retiree, said the legislation resulted from \"over 18 months of negotiation and collaboration\" and described the funding model as offering flexibility responsive to market conditions. Bob Nix, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, said membership voted by about 80% to lower benefits and that the voluntary approach will save the city and its citizens \"hundreds of millions of dollars\" by avoiding a mandatory restoration plan.

The substitute would also change board composition to add a community member with financial or pension experience and a new elected member seat. Committee staff noted that the Pension Review Board actuarial analysis and the Legislative Budget Board fiscal note were prepared on the introduced version of the bill rather than the agreed committee substitute.

Committee members closed public testimony and, later in the session, the committee adopted the committee substitute without objection and left the bill pending while awaiting related House action. No roll-call vote was recorded on the substitute adoption in committee.

The bill now awaits further action in the Senate once the House companion is available; committee members said they would defer final reporting until the related House bill is ready.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Finance April 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Finance on Oct. 12 adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 2345 that would reform the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund through a negotiated, voluntary funding-soundness restoration plan agreed to by the city of Austin and the retirement fund.","taxTitle","Committee on Finance, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16845,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264351,"Committee advances House bill exempting counties from certain motor-fuel taxes",116,1385630,1502455,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24&start=1385&end=1502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24/thumbnail_1385630.jpg","/articles/6264351/Texas/Committee-advances-House-bill-exempting-counties-from-certain-motor-fuel-taxes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264351-63d800b43970f2ae4aa4895a9df2559c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771018172&Signature=HTpK6ZUY2lxWngi372fyG2QtuyInpC7ItH3Ey6O7970JRd2YJCUkRUXkPkI7DNdSyviVCDcrdpT4bG5yV2vYjFV-OC889vdSaJokKL6Tz5v2Umxa1~1tWbYu21Hla5LTaZeou7e~U40OS-du0Np6WIpVc4a5xjnengIGhTtMBmffJYKJZFLgDLbLcNzCzQ7s-fdJYL~1Zj94fQuGEudq6VfOHuWaYp-vmR3eJqfJWK0mVFJvH8cMVJdVpCEo4Km8iN7y7hyeOzoZ5YJ7JTIWP~tEpshwSKRAY4xJN-~JqcvZreHsteGiComdgSntdXyiQht0QND7Xb3WERAkbnYIuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Finance on Oct. 12 referred House Bill 1109 (the House companion to Senate Bill 935) to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass. Sponsor remarks described the measure as providing an exemption or credit so counties would not have to pay motor-fuel taxes on vehicles used in county government operations.

Senator Hall explained the bill as creating an exemption for government agencies—counties and, in some descriptions, cities—so they would not be charged motor-fuel taxes for fuel used in county-owned vehicles. Committee members discussed procedure and timing; no public testimony was recorded during the segment of the transcript covering this item.

The clerk recorded a roll-call vote of 11 ayes and no nays, and the chair ordered the bill reported favorably to the full Senate.","The committee referred House Bill 1109 (in lieu of Senate Bill 935) to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass; the bill would exempt county government vehicles from certain motor-fuel taxes or provide a credit authority, as presented by the sponsor.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264356,"Committee backs bill to extend motor-fuel tax credit to diesel used in APUs",221,1033130,1254355,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24&start=1033&end=1254","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24/thumbnail_1033130.jpg","/articles/6264356/Texas/Committee-backs-bill-to-extend-motor-fuel-tax-credit-to-diesel-used-in-APUs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264356-a6cd0ed208b290f4fe851d5fecf212fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771018172&Signature=XtCny9uhSoIo-8uOnWsvPUtLZIdU3ogbnircoNhDzpGDUAx81LW8g2pHImzAuvewsFH-nCxW2q6Y53S8eGHBwPfv3GTTbMh0-4LMknesQQL17w7uJJ7Jh7VEI3TvH1qtsSQd-VGFAObX18e-xjB~v9JqCyVpT5P1DavgfiykaSb-rs6r1tVmuPlWkP1O8Q4Z58CAgIWqxK4wRH5GfOY1TWv6~widiFv8pDqduLzWGj9u7HNQ11wgcRp5qwRui2uvdt~Z0EVtHeFtHbw0z2l7tCAAHyEh5dXRk-Y06i5tylPBxa-ebk4JW0UP7WZJoTyNGLoZ8HCz1pfBR7eZzkZWBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Finance voted to report Senate Bill 771 favorably to the full Senate after sponsors said the bill restores tax equity by allowing refunds or credits for diesel used in auxiliary power units (APUs) and power-take-off units (PTOs), as the law already does for gasoline.

Senator Hinojosa told the committee that diesel was inadvertently excluded when the motor-fuel tax code was rewritten in 2003 and that the bill corrects that discrepancy. Supporters argued that APUs and PTOs operate while a vehicle is stationary and therefore do not cause roadway wear that motor-fuel taxes are intended to address.

Robert Jones, who said he has worked in fuel excise tax for more than 35 years, testified in favor of the bill and said it \"puts equity between the different types of fuels.\" The committee recorded a roll-call vote in which the clerk announced 10 ayes and no nays; the bill will be reported favorably to the full Senate and moved forward.

No amendments or opposing testimony were recorded in the committee transcript. The chair asked members to quickly prepare to vote so the committee could move multiple pending items to the floor.","Senate Bill 771 would allow diesel used in auxiliary power units (APUs) and power-take-off units (PTOs) to qualify for the same motor-fuel tax credits or refunds currently available for gasoline, restoring parity that supporters say was lost when the motor-fuel tax code was rewritten.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264361,"Committee clears bill clarifying tax exemptions for exotic game sales",117,907005,1024615,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24&start=907&end=1024","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3096785-a773e8395a8ce25306ced17486e38a24/thumbnail_907005.jpg","/articles/6264361/Texas/Committee-clears-bill-clarifying-tax-exemptions-for-exotic-game-sales","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264361-aeb017b9672ba091dc0be234023fffb1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771018172&Signature=BvyN2kcn9Mb~zhe1SWQebANPch9AOXcDIqgCJmtFQ~o817ACTKbtNNIsO867xwfK7uj3ATUPK8s0AfuGTcb4ywM~slNBs5Y7koyPiv9R9XQHTCZX-aYdVdJBvVnwRS02in8hhCVVueNjhdsxt2al7N1hDLgQ-Sa5ztikJaC78hrS82NugIip1gNgrmBySDrTswnTMZhfDX2hFWMoMh7~wVC5WJxSfI7p9KJ8SF63AHkZSgQ5WT-OtWq416OV7yYwIidSeYS~oFQBzidi2DCnZhAT4uxnr0u0s1mmRuFl4EaftKdbeQXUv45x0vVcC1c6J79uXXz1e-kUWjmg48BF6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Finance on Oct. 12 reported House Bill 135 favorably to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass. The bill seeks to clarify the tax code by defining exotic game animals within existing agriculture exemptions, ensuring that sales of exotic livestock are not subject to sales and use taxes.

Senator Flores laid out the bill and described it as providing legal clarity so that exotic-game operations—important in many rural Texas communities for land conservation and hunting tourism—receive consistent tax treatment. Jay Stewart, an attorney for the Exotic Wildlife Association, told the committee the bill resolves issues raised by the Comptroller’s Office about taxation of exotic livestock sales and argued the change would benefit ranchers, landowners and hunting-related businesses.

The committee voted to report the bill favorably to the full Senate by roll call; the clerk recorded 10 ayes and no nays. The chair then certified the bill for the local and uncontested calendar.

Supporters said the bill restores parity between exotic game sales and other agricultural exemptions and removes an uncertainty that had led to potential tax liability. No questions from committee members were recorded during public testimony; Shannon Brandt of the Comptroller’s Office was present as a resource witness.

The bill will next be considered by the full Senate on the floor calendar.","The Senate Finance committee reported House Bill 135 favorably to the full Senate. The bill narrows tax-code ambiguity by defining exotic game animals for agriculture exemptions so sales of exotic livestock are not treated as taxable sales and provides consistency for taxing exotic game operations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate Finance committee adopts substitute for bill to reform Austin firefighters’ pension

Committee advances House bill exempting counties from certain motor-fuel taxes

Committee backs bill to extend motor-fuel tax credit to diesel used in APUs

Committee clears bill clarifying tax exemptions for exotic game sales