81R8815 KSD-D
By: Chavez H.B. No. 2241
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the provision of state death benefits to certain
federal law enforcement officers and special agents who assist
state and local law enforcement agencies in this state.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 615.003, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 615.003. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
eligible survivors of the following individuals:
(1) an individual elected, appointed, or employed as a
peace officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state
under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law;
(2) a paid probation officer appointed by the director
of a community supervision and corrections department who has the
duties set out in Section 76.002 and the qualifications set out in
Section 76.005, or who was appointed in accordance with prior law;
(3) a parole officer employed by the pardons and
paroles division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who
has the duties set out in Section 508.001 and the qualifications set
out in Section 508.113 or in prior law;
(4) a paid jailer;
(5) a member of an organized police reserve or
auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing
criminal laws;
(6) a member of the class of employees of the
institutional division or the state jail division of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice formally designated as custodial
personnel under Section 615.006 by the Texas Board of Criminal
Justice or its predecessor in function;
(7) a jailer or guard of a county jail who is appointed
by the sheriff and who:
(A) performs a security, custodial, or
supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or
discharge of prisoners; and
(B) is certified by the Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards and Education;
(8) a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas
Youth Commission;
(9) an employee of the [Texas] Department of State
Health Services or the Department of Aging and Disability Services
[Mental Health and Mental Retardation] who:
(A) works at the Department of State Health
Services' [department's] maximum security unit; or
(B) performs on-site services for the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice;
(10) an individual who is employed by the state or a
political or legal subdivision and is subject to certification by
the Texas Commission on Fire Protection;
(11) an individual employed by the state or a
political or legal subdivision whose principal duties are aircraft
crash and rescue fire fighting;
(12) a member of an organized volunteer fire-fighting
unit that:
(A) renders fire-fighting services without
remuneration; and
(B) conducts a minimum of two drills each month,
each two hours long;
(13) an individual who:
(A) performs emergency medical services or
operates an ambulance;
(B) is employed by a political subdivision of the
state or is an emergency medical services volunteer as defined by
Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code; and
(C) is qualified as an emergency care attendant
or at a higher level of training under Section 773.046, 773.047,
773.048, 773.049, or 773.0495, Health and Safety Code; [or]
(14) an individual who is employed or formally
designated as a chaplain for:
(A) an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or
other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of
this state;
(B) a law enforcement agency of this state or of a
political subdivision of this state; or
(C) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; or
(15) a federal law enforcement officer or special
agent, including a special investigator under Article 2.122, Code
of Criminal Procedure, who is performing duties in this state to
assist a state or local law enforcement agency of this state.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act relating to
the death of certain federal law enforcement officers or special
agents applies only in relation to a death that occurs on or after
the effective date of this Act. Matters regarding eligibility,
payment, and benefits under Chapter 615, Government Code, in
relation to a death that occurs before the effective date of this
Act are governed by the law in effect when the death occurs, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.