| 1 | 1 | | 84R9923 JRR-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Allen H.B. No. 3798 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to providing financial assistance to certain survivors of |
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| 8 | 8 | | an inmate who died as a result of a traffic accident that occurred |
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| 9 | 9 | | while the inmate was being transported by the Texas Department of |
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| 10 | 10 | | Criminal Justice or a person under contract with the department. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 501.025 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 501.025. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE SURVIVOR OF |
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| 15 | 15 | | CERTAIN INMATES. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a survivor of |
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| 16 | 16 | | an inmate confined by the department is eligible for the payment of |
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| 17 | 17 | | assistance under Chapter 615 if: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) the inmate died: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) while the inmate was under the care and |
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| 20 | 20 | | custody of the department; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) as a result of personal injuries sustained in |
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| 22 | 22 | | a transportation accident that occurred while the inmate was being |
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| 23 | 23 | | lawfully transported to or from an intake facility, holding |
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| 24 | 24 | | facility, unit of assignment, hospital, or any other facility |
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| 25 | 25 | | operated by or under contract with the department, regardless of |
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| 26 | 26 | | whether the transportation of the inmate was conducted by the |
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| 27 | 27 | | department or a person under contract with the department; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) the survivor is: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (A) the surviving spouse of the inmate; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) a surviving child of the inmate, if there is |
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| 31 | 31 | | no surviving spouse; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (C) a surviving parent of the inmate, if there is |
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| 33 | 33 | | no surviving spouse or child. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b) Chapter 615 applies to an eligible survivor of an inmate |
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| 35 | 35 | | under this section in the same manner as that chapter applies to an |
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| 36 | 36 | | eligible survivor under Section 615.021. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act relating to |
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| 38 | 38 | | the death of certain inmates under the custody of the Department of |
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| 39 | 39 | | Criminal Justice applies only in relation to a death that occurs on |
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| 40 | 40 | | or after January 1, 2015. Matters regarding eligibility, payment, |
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| 41 | 41 | | and benefits under Section 501.025, Government Code, as added by |
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| 42 | 42 | | this Act, or Chapter 615, Government Code, in relation to a death |
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| 43 | 43 | | that occurs before January 1, 2015, are governed by the law in |
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| 44 | 44 | | effect when the death occurs, and the former law is continued in |
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| 45 | 45 | | effect for that purpose. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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