SRC-JEC, TAG, MSY S.B. 482 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 482
By: Madla
              State Affairs
6/25/2003
Enrolled

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the survivors of certain law enforcement officers,
firefighters, and other individuals killed in the line of duty are
eligible for financial assistance.  In 2002, the 107th United States
Congress passed a law providing benefits to the survivors of police and
fire chaplains.  S.B. 482 mirrors the new federal law by adding the
survivors of certain police and fire chaplains killed in the line of duty
to those individuals who are eligible for certain state benefits. 
      
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 615.003, Government Code, by adding Subdivision
(14) to add the eligible survivors of chaplains of certain fire fighting
units, law enforcement agencies, or the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice (TDCJ)  to the list of individuals who may benefit from the
provisions of this chapter. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 615.021, Government Code, by amending
Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e), as follows: 

(a)  Clarifies the context in which a person is considered to have died as
a result of an injury sustained in the line of duty. 

(c)  Makes conforming changes.

(d)  Provides that, in a determination of whether the survivor of an
individual listed under Section 615.003 is eligible for the payment of
assistance under this chapter, any reasonable doubt arising from the
circumstances of the individual's death is required to be resolved in
favor of the payment of assistance to the survivor. 

(e)  Defines "personal injury" and "line of duty."

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 615.072, Government Code, to make conforming
changes regarding an individual listed under Section 615.071. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Subsection (b), Section 615.105, Government Code, to
make conforming changes. 

SECTION 5.  Amends Section 615.121, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(f) to define "line of duty." 

SECTION 6.  Amends Section 811.001, Government Code, by amending
Subdivision (12) and adding Subdivision (12-a) to define "occupational
disability" and "occupational death" separately. 
 
SECTION 7.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 8.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.