LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION May 12, 2017 TO: Honorable Kelly Hancock, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:HB2119 by Kacal (Relating to workers' compensation death benefit eligibility for certain spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.), As Engrossed Dependent upon the number of surviving spouses of first responders made eligible under the bill for workers' compensation death benefits, there would be an indeterminate cost to the State. The bill would amend the Labor Code to allow surviving spouses of first responders to continue receiving workers' compensation death benefit payments upon remarriage regardless of the date on which the death of the first responder occurred. Only spouses who remarry on or after September 1, 2017 would be eligible for benefits under the bill.The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System do not have sufficient information to estimate a fiscal impact at this time, although the agencies assume there could be an indeterminate cost to the state of the additional benefits paid under the bill. To estimate the fiscal impact to affected agencies, each agency paying related claims would need to estimate the total number of surviving spouses of first responders currently receiving benefits who would remarry after September 1, 2017 and become eligible to receive benefits under the bill. The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System cannot determine the number of potentially impacted individuals at this time.The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System assume any additional administrative work associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2017. Local Government Impact The fiscal impact to local government cannot be determined at this time. Source Agencies:454 Department of Insurance, 479 State Office of Risk Management, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices LBB Staff: UP, ASa, CL, NV, JGA, CP
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
May 12, 2017
TO: Honorable Kelly Hancock, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:HB2119 by Kacal (Relating to workers' compensation death benefit eligibility for certain spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.), As Engrossed
TO: Honorable Kelly Hancock, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB2119 by Kacal (Relating to workers' compensation death benefit eligibility for certain spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.), As Engrossed
Honorable Kelly Hancock, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Honorable Kelly Hancock, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
HB2119 by Kacal (Relating to workers' compensation death benefit eligibility for certain spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.), As Engrossed
HB2119 by Kacal (Relating to workers' compensation death benefit eligibility for certain spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.), As Engrossed
Dependent upon the number of surviving spouses of first responders made eligible under the bill for workers' compensation death benefits, there would be an indeterminate cost to the State.
Dependent upon the number of surviving spouses of first responders made eligible under the bill for workers' compensation death benefits, there would be an indeterminate cost to the State.
The bill would amend the Labor Code to allow surviving spouses of first responders to continue receiving workers' compensation death benefit payments upon remarriage regardless of the date on which the death of the first responder occurred. Only spouses who remarry on or after September 1, 2017 would be eligible for benefits under the bill.The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System do not have sufficient information to estimate a fiscal impact at this time, although the agencies assume there could be an indeterminate cost to the state of the additional benefits paid under the bill. To estimate the fiscal impact to affected agencies, each agency paying related claims would need to estimate the total number of surviving spouses of first responders currently receiving benefits who would remarry after September 1, 2017 and become eligible to receive benefits under the bill. The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System cannot determine the number of potentially impacted individuals at this time.The Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Office of Risk Management, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of Texas System assume any additional administrative work associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal impact to local government cannot be determined at this time.
Source Agencies: 454 Department of Insurance, 479 State Office of Risk Management, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices
454 Department of Insurance, 479 State Office of Risk Management, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices
LBB Staff: UP, ASa, CL, NV, JGA, CP
UP, ASa, CL, NV, JGA, CP