LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 26, 1999
TO: Honorable Robert Junell, Chair, House Committee on
Appropriations
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB2298 by Tillery (relating to benefits for certain
disabled peace officers), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-Year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Fundsfor *
* HB2298, As Introduced: $0 through the biennium ending August 31, *
* 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $0 *
* 2001 0 *
* 2002 0 *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* Compensation to Victims of Crime *
* Account/ GR-Dedicated *
* 0469 *
* 2000 $(1,000,000) *
* 2001 (1,000,000) *
* 2002 0 *
* 2003 0 *
* 2004 0 *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill authorizes a peace officer who is disabled in the line of duty
as a result of criminally injurious conduct to apply to the Office of
the Attorney General (OAG) for compensatory payments. The benefit would
equal the difference between the officer's average annual salary during
his final three years as a peace officer, and any payments he receives
as a result of the injury from insurance, disability payments, workers'
compensation benefits or benefits from any other governmental entity.
Payments would also be subject to an annual cost of living adjustment
computed by the OAG. Only officers injured between September 1, 1989
and September 1, 1997 would be eligible for the benefits. The payments
would be funded from the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund 469, a
dedicated account in the General Revenue fund. Existing statute limits
benefits received through the compensation to victims of crime program
to a lifetime maximum of $50,000.
Methodology
The Office of the Attorney General assumed that from Sept. 1, 1989 and
Sept. 1, 1997, 5 officers per year would be eligible for benefits, for a
total of 40 officers. It was also assumed that half of these officers
would apply for benefits in the first year of the biennium, with the
other half applying in the second year. It was also assumed that the
benefits that had accrued would be paid in a lump-sum to the disabled
officer, subject to the maximum limit of $50,000. As a result, 20
officers would receive a lump-sum payment of $50,000 each in fiscal year
2000, and 20 officers would receive a lump-sum payment of $50,000 each
in fiscal year 2001.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, BB, PH, SC