1. TRS/TRAQS Updates

2. Rate change for FY2016
Member retirement contribution rate increasing from 6.7% to 7.2% effective September 1st.
Regular Payroll
Pension Surcharge

3. Newly Passed Legislation
Eligibility based on one employer
TRS Care Surcharge flat rate

4. Rule Change Effective September 1, 2015
Rule 25.1-Full-Time Service
If employed in two or more positions that are each less than half- time with the same employer, the minimum number of hours total must be equal to or more than one-half the number of hours required for the full-time equivalent for the position with the higher FTE.
Example:
Employee working 10 hours per week as a bus driver and bus driver position has no FTE
Employee also working 8 hours per week as an aide with a 40 hour/week FTE
The minimum number of hours required for eligibility is 20 (1/2 the 40 hour FTE for the aide position.)
Employee NOT eligible because only working 18 hours/week and does not meet at least half of the higher FTE
If employee was hired at least 10 hours per week as an aide, then would be eligible because total employment would be 20 hours/week or at least half of the higher FTE

5. Rule Change Effective September 1, 2015
Rule Payroll Report Dates
RP15 adjustments will only be accepted for Reporting Entity errors for the current and 1 prior school year.
If the error occurred in the prior school year, the employee must still be employed at that same RE.
Employee must still be due compensation from the employer so that the member contributions may be “picked up” with pre-tax dollars.
Employer has to request a waiver of the reporting requirements and be approved by TRS.
Member and employer contributions must be submitted.
Employer must pay penalty interest on these deposits.
If the error occurred before the prior school year, form 22I will be required to verify service and member will have the option to purchase it at actuarial cost.

6. Rule Change Effective September 1, 2015
Rule Continued
Report compensation in the month it is PAID, not when EARNED
Example: Employees are paid on the 1st business day of the month— e.g. December 1st. The compensation is reported on the November Regular Payroll report since the payment on December 1 represents work done in November.
Effective September 1, 2015, all employers must report compensation on the report for the month it is paid rather than the month it is earned.
Employers must report based on what was paid in that calendar month and only what was due to be paid in that calendar month. Employers cannot delay or push back payments due to a later month in order to increase the annual salary for benefit calculation.

7. Rule Change Effective September 1, 2015
Rule Annual Compensation Creditable for Benefit Calculation
If as a result of the requirement to report compensation for the month it is paid a member has only 11 months of salary credited for the school year, TRS will attribute an additional month of salary to the member for the school year.

8. Rule Change Effective September 1, 2015
Rule Employer Payments for New Members
New member contribution period will be the report month that contains the 1st day of employment through the report month that contains the 90th day of employment.

9. TEAM (New Reporting Portal) Information

10. New and Improved Features
Manual Entry and Copy Forward Option
Correction System
View Employee Information
View RE Ledger
Miscellaneous View Screens

11. TEAM Update-What Changes are Coming?
New Data Elements-Employee Demographics:
Membership Eligibility Flag: Yes or No
Entitled to group benefit coverage under ERS/UT/A&M: Yes or No
Full-Time Equivalent: hours/week; 00 if no FTE for position
Employment Type: S=Substitute, P=Less than Half-Time, F=Full-Time, M=Temporary
RE Pays Social Security: Yes or No or Medicare Only

12. TEAM Update-What Changes are Coming?
New Data Elements-Regular Payroll:
Hours worked per report month
Days worked per report month
Zero days reason code
Total gross compensation
Per employee:
Compensation paid from Federal Funds/Private Grants
Federal Grant and Federal TRS-Care contributions
RE Payment for Non-OASDI contribution
RE Payment for New Member Contribution

13. TEAM Update-What Changes are Coming?
New Data Elements-Employment After Retirement
All retirees to be reported, regardless of retirement date, and including any retirees working through third party entity
Hours worked in report month
Days worked in report month
Total gross compensation
Paid through 3rd party entity?

14. TEAM-Training and Certification
Training for users:
Training will be held at all Region Service Centers and in Austin
At least 1 user per reporting entity must attend training
Training schedule and registration information will be published as soon as the timeline is finalized
Certification:
Test environment will be available
Each Reporting Entity will be required to submit test report files that process successfully

15. Key Dates Dates March 2015 Draft Report Formatting Guide available
Summer 2015
Final Report Formatting Guide available
February 2016
Training sessions begin
February – July 2016
Certification period
September 2016
Reporting Entity Portal goes live

16. Up-to-Date Information Available
TEAM Program Communications Page on TRS website – updated as information becomes available. Will start to see more and more information available on this page as project moves forward.

17. Questions?