99 Promises: The Texas Pension Time Bomb

Purpose

This build reconstructs a decade of actuarial data from the Texas Pension Review Board to reveal the full scope of unfunded liabilities across all 99 state-overseen pension plans. It tracks funding ratios, contribution adequacy, and the compounding cost of deferred obligations.

Why It Matters

Public pensions are promises made to teachers, firefighters, police officers, and state employees. When those promises are underfunded by $107 billion, someone pays — either retirees through benefit cuts or taxpayers through emergency contributions. This build makes the math visible.

Explore the Data

Methodology

Actuarial data sourced from the Texas Pension Review Board annual reports covering FY2013-2024. Funding ratios, unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities (UAAL), and contribution adequacy metrics calculated per PRB methodology. All 99 state-overseen plans included.

Citation