Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 877 amends the Government Code to modify the benefits provided to the surviving spouse, children, parents, and siblings of certain public employees killed in the line of duty. The bill increases from $50,000 to $250,000 the state payment to a surviving spouse. It deletes requirements that surviving children be minors, and that surviving parents be dependents, in order to qualify as beneficiaries, but repeals separate payments to both. Rather, the $250,000 is divided equally among surviving children if there is no eligible surviving spouse, and is divided equally among surviving parents if there is no eligible surviving spouse or child. Siblings no longer are beneficiaries.

            The bill establishes provisions for a surviving spouse or surviving dependent child to receive education benefits as a full-time student at an institution of higher learning. The education benefits exempt them from tuition and fees and the cost of textbooks and provide housing benefits until the student receives a bachelor's degree or 200 hours of course credit, whichever occurs first. The bill provides additional benefits for an eligible surviving spouse of a peace officer or an employee of the institutional division or state jail division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who was killed in the line of duty and who had not qualified for an annuity under an employees' retirement plan. The benefits include funeral expenses and monthly payments in lieu of an annuity. The monthly payments continue until the surviving spouse remarries, becomes eligible for Social Security, or becomes eligible to retire under an employee's retirement plan.