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 ************************************************************************** * 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