By: Armbrister S.B. No. 1132
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to payment of death benefits to certain peace officers of
1-2 the State of Texas.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 12.202, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 12.202. Operation Game Thief Committee. (a) The
1-7 director shall appoint an Operation Game Thief Committee composed
1-8 of nine members to administer the operation game thief fund and to
1-9 make reward payments and death benefit payments from that fund.
1-10 The director shall appoint persons who are not employees of the
1-11 department and who have a demonstrated interest in game and fish
1-12 conservation. The director may consider the recommendations or
1-13 nominations of any club or association. The director shall
1-14 designate one of the members as chairman of the committee. The
1-15 director or an employee designated by the director for that purpose
1-16 shall serve as secretary to the committee. A member of the
1-17 committee serves without compensation.
1-18 (b) Each member of the committee serves a term of six years.
1-19 The terms of one-third of the members expire on January 31 of each
1-20 odd-numbered year. The director may reappoint members.
1-21 (c) The committee shall meet at least two times each
1-22 calendar year at the department's office in Austin. Five committee
1-23 members must be present for approval of disbursement of rewards to
2-1 eligible applicants and death benefit payments to eligible
2-2 recipients.
2-3 SECTION 2. Section 12.204, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
2-4 amended to read as follows:
2-5 Sec. 12.204. REWARDS; PAYMENTS. No amount in excess of that
2-6 on deposit in the operation game thief fund is payable as a reward
2-7 under this section or as a death benefit payment under Section
2-8 12.206 of this code. No reward may be granted to a person, or an
2-9 immediate family member of a person, who is a peace officer, deputy
2-10 game warden, prosecutor, employee of the department, or a member of
2-11 the judiciary.
2-12 SECTION 3. (a) Subchapter C, Chapter 12, Parks and Wildlife
2-13 Code, is amended by adding Section 12.206 to read as follows:
2-14 Sec. 12.206. PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS. The committee may
2-15 use the operation game thief fund to supplement any death benefits
2-16 received by the families of peace officers employed by the
2-17 department who are killed in the line of duty. A death benefit
2-18 payment under this section shall be equal to at least 20 percent of
2-19 the current balance of the fund, except that the payment may not be
2-20 less than $10,000 or more than $20,000. The committee shall adopt
2-21 guidelines for the payment of death benefits under this section.
2-22 (b) Subchapter C, Chapter 12, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
2-23 amended by adding Section 12.206 to read as follows:
2-24 Sec. 12.206. PAYMENT OF DEATH BENEFITS. The committee may
2-25 use the operation game thief fund to supplement any death benefits
3-1 received by the families of peace officers employed by the
3-2 department who are killed in the line of duty. A death benefit
3-3 payment under this section shall be equal to at least 20 percent of
3-4 the current balance of the fund, except that the payment may not be
3-5 less than $10,000 or more than $50,000. The committee shall adopt
3-6 guidelines for the payment of death benefits under this section.
3-7 (c) Subsection (a) of this section, which amends the Parks
3-8 and Wildlife Code by adding Section 12.206 to authorize payment of
3-9 supplemental death benefits of up to $20,000 to the family of a
3-10 peace officer employed by the Parks and Wildlife Department who is
3-11 killed in the line of duty, takes effect only if the 73rd
3-12 Legislature in regular session enacts a bill that becomes law that
3-13 amends Section 3, Chapter 86, Acts of the 60th Legislature, Regular
3-14 Session, 1967 (Article 6228f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), to
3-15 increase the death benefit paid by the state to the survivors of
3-16 certain public servants killed in the line of duty. Subsection (b)
3-17 of this section, which amends the Parks and Wildlife Code by adding
3-18 Section 12.206 to authorize payment of supplemental death benefits
3-19 of up to $50,000 to the family of a peace officer employed by the
3-20 Parks and Wildlife Department who is killed in the line of duty,
3-21 takes effect only if the 73rd Legislature in regular session does
3-22 not enact such a bill that becomes law.
3-23 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect according to its terms
3-24 September 1, 1993.
3-25 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.