LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session May 10, 2001 TO: Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB877 by Flores (relating to the benefits provided to the surviving spouse and minor children of certain public employees killed in the line of duty.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * HB877, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted: negative impact * * of $(140,910) through the biennium ending August 31, 2003. * * * * 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 * * 2002 $(53,445) * * 2003 (87,465) * * 2004 (121,485) * * 2005 (155,505) * * 2006 (189,525) * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: ***************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from * * General Revenue Fund * * 0001 * * 2002 $(53,445) * * 2003 (87,465) * * 2004 (121,485) * * 2005 (155,505) * * 2006 (189,525) * ***************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would amend Chapter 615 of the Government Code to allow for a monthly payment to the surviving spouse of a peace officer of the state or a political subdivision, or the spouse of an employee of the institutional or state jail division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, who was killed in the line of duty and who had not qualified for an annuity under an employees' retirement plan. The bill would also provide for funeral expenses of the deceased officer or employee to the surviving spouse or, if a surviving spouse does not exist, to the surviving minor children. The bill would take effect September 1, 2001, and apply to deaths on or after that date. The Employees Retirement System (ERS) would be responsible for administering the new benefit. Methodology The cost for providing the annuity benefits is estimated to be $19,845 in fiscal year 2002, increasing to $155,925 in fiscal year 2006 as the number of survivors receiving benefits increases each year. ERS estimates that an average of six deaths would occur each year that would result in benefit payments under this legislation, and that the annual cost for providing a full year of annuity benefits would be $5,670 per survivor, and that the deaths would be evenly spaced throughout the year. The average cost per funeral is estimated to be $5,600, based on information from the Funeral Services Commission, resulting in an annual cost for funeral expenses of $33,600. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: LBB Staff: JK, RB, SC