TO:	Honorable Bryan Hughes, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB22 by Springer (Relating to certain claims for benefits, compensation, or assistance by certain public safety employees and survivors of certain public safety employees.), As Introduced

The bill would amend the Government Code to specify that personal injury or death to certain public safety employees from a disease that this basis for a disaster declaration from the Governor is presumed to have been sustained in the line of duty. 

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the inability to determine the future number of claims that may occur over the next five years from COVID-19 or any other disease for which the Governor may declare a disaster. 

The Office of the Governor, Attorney General, Employees Retirement System of Texas, Department of Public Safety, Department of Insurance, Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Juvenile Justice Department, Department of Criminal Justice, and Parks and Wildlife Department all indicate the bill would have no significant fiscal impact.

Local Government Impact

The Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool (TAC RMP) currently provides workers' compensation coverage to 261 qualified public entity members, which include approximately 80%, or 203 of the 254 Texas counties. As of February 21, 2021,TAC RMP has received 1151 COVID-19 related claims.  A total of 72%, or 830 of these claims were filed by member counties on behalf of their first responders, jailers and detention officers.  Projected incurred reserves may be adversely impacted by an extended duration of the pandemic, efficacy of vaccines to emerging virus variants, cost of acute lifesaving treatment, and the tails of current COVID-19 claims which are evolving into chronic treatment.  According to TAC RMP, the estimate for fiscal year 2021 is $17 million for their members' first responders, jailers and detention officers alone.