By Longoria H.B. No. 2631
74R4881 MLR-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to benefits paid to survivors of certain public servants.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 615.022, Government Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 615.022. PAYMENT TO SURVIVING SPOUSE. The state shall
1-7 pay $250,000 <$20,000> to an eligible surviving spouse.
1-8 SECTION 2. Section 615.023, Government Code, is amended to
1-9 read as follows:
1-10 Sec. 615.023. PAYMENT TO SURVIVING MINOR CHILD. (a) The
1-11 state shall pay to the duly appointed or qualified guardian or
1-12 other legal representative of an eligible surviving minor child:
1-13 (1) $200 each month, if there is one surviving minor
1-14 child;
1-15 (2) $300 each month, if there are two surviving minor
1-16 children; or
1-17 (3) $400 each month, if there are three or more
1-18 surviving minor children.
1-19 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (e), (f), and (g), a
1-20 <A> child's entitlement to assistance payable under this section
1-21 ends on the latter of:
1-22 (1) the date of the child's 21st birthday; or
1-23 (2) the date the child receives a bachelor's degree or
1-24 200 hours of course credit from an institution of higher education,
2-1 as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, whichever comes
2-2 first.
2-3 (c) At the <that> time a child's entitlement to assistance
2-4 ends under Subsection (b), payments to any other surviving minor
2-5 children shall be adjusted, as necessary, to conform to the amounts
2-6 payable under Subsection (a).
2-7 (d) <(c)> A payment under this section is in addition to any
2-8 payment made under Section 615.022.
2-9 (e) An eligible surviving minor child who enrolls as a
2-10 full-time student in an institution of higher education, as defined
2-11 by Section 61.003, Education Code, is exempt from tuition and fees
2-12 at that institution until the student receives a bachelor's degree
2-13 or 200 hours of course credit, whichever comes first.
2-14 (f) If the eligible surviving minor child under Subsection
2-15 (e) elects to reside in housing provided by the institution of
2-16 higher education and qualifies to reside in that housing, the
2-17 institution shall pay from the general revenue appropriated to the
2-18 institution the cost of the student's contract for food and housing
2-19 until the student receives a bachelor's degree or 200 hours of
2-20 course credit, whichever comes first. If there is no space
2-21 available in the institution's housing, the institution shall pay
2-22 the student each month the equivalent amount that the institution
2-23 would have expended had the student lived in the institution's
2-24 housing. The institution is not required to pay the student the
2-25 monthly payment if the student would not qualify to live in the
2-26 institution's housing.
2-27 (g) The institution of higher education shall pay, from the
3-1 general revenue appropriated to the institution to an eligible
3-2 surviving minor child under Subsection (e), the cost of the
3-3 student's books until the student receives a bachelor's degree or
3-4 200 hours of course credit, whichever comes first.
3-5 SECTION 3. Section 615.024, Government Code, is amended to
3-6 read as follows:
3-7 Sec. 615.024. PAYMENT TO SURVIVING DEPENDENT PARENT. The
3-8 state shall pay an eligible surviving dependent parent:
3-9 (1) $250,000 <$20,000>, if there is only one eligible
3-10 surviving dependent parent; or
3-11 (2) $125,000 <$10,000> each, if there are two eligible
3-12 surviving dependent parents.
3-13 SECTION 4. Section 615.025, Government Code, is amended to
3-14 read as follows:
3-15 Sec. 615.025. PAYMENT TO SURVIVING DEPENDENT SIBLING. (a)
3-16 The state shall pay to an eligible surviving dependent sibling or
3-17 to the sibling's duly appointed or qualified guardian or other
3-18 legal representative the sibling's share of $250,000, which amount
3-19 is to be split equally among eligible surviving dependent
3-20 siblings<:>
3-21 <(1) $200 each month, if there is one eligible
3-22 surviving dependent sibling;>
3-23 <(2) $300 each month, if there are two eligible
3-24 surviving dependent siblings; or>
3-25 <(3) $400 each month, if there are three or more
3-26 eligible surviving dependent siblings>.
3-27 (b) <A sibling's entitlement to assistance payable under
4-1 this section ends on the sibling's 18th birthday. At that time,
4-2 payments to any other eligible surviving dependent siblings shall
4-3 be adjusted, if necessary, to conform with the amounts specified by
4-4 Subsection (a).>
4-5 <(c)> A payment under this section is in addition to any
4-6 payment made under Section 615.024.
4-7 SECTION 5. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
4-8 (b) The changes in law made by this Act relating to the
4-9 death of certain public servants apply only to a death that occurs
4-10 on or after the effective date of this Act. A death that occurs
4-11 before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
4-12 effect when the death occurs, and that law is continued in effect
4-13 for that purpose.
4-14 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
4-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.