S.B. No. 1132
                                        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 member of
   2-11  the judiciary.
   2-12        SECTION 3.  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.  The committee shall
   2-18  adopt guidelines for the payment of death benefits under this
   2-19  section.
   2-20        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect according to its terms
   2-21  September 1, 1993.
   2-22        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-24  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-25  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.