By: Madla, Van de Putte S.B. No. 482
(In the Senate - Filed February 13, 2003; February 19, 2003,
read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
March 19, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 19, 2003,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 482 By: Nelson
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to certain chaplains killed in the line of duty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 615.003, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 615.003. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
eligible survivors of the following individuals:
(1) an individual elected, appointed, or employed as a
peace officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state
under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law;
(2) a paid probation officer appointed by the director
of a community supervision and corrections department who has the
duties set out in Section 76.002 and the qualifications set out in
Section 76.005, or who was appointed in accordance with prior law;
(3) a parole officer employed by the pardons and
paroles division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who
has the duties set out in Section 508.001 and the qualifications set
out in Section 508.113 or in prior law;
(4) a paid jailer;
(5) a member of an organized police reserve or
auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing
criminal laws;
(6) a member of the class of employees of the
institutional division or the state jail division of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice formally designated as custodial
personnel under Section 615.006 by the Texas Board of Criminal
Justice or its predecessor in function;
(7) a jailer or guard of a county jail who is appointed
by the sheriff and who:
(A) performs a security, custodial, or
supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or
discharge of prisoners; and
(B) is certified by the Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards and Education;
(8) a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas
Youth Commission;
(9) an employee of the Texas Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation who:
(A) works at the department's maximum security
unit; or
(B) performs on-site services for the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice;
(10) an individual who is employed by the state or a
political or legal subdivision and is subject to certification by
the Texas Commission on Fire Protection;
(11) an individual employed by the state or a
political or legal subdivision whose principal duties are aircraft
crash and rescue fire fighting;
(12) a member of an organized volunteer fire-fighting
unit that:
(A) renders fire-fighting services without
remuneration;
(B) consists of not fewer than 20 active members,
a majority of whom are present at each meeting; and
(C) conducts a minimum of two drills each month,
each two hours long; [or]
(13) an individual who:
(A) performs emergency medical services or
operates an ambulance;
(B) is employed by a political subdivision of the
state or is an emergency medical services volunteer as defined by
Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code; and
(C) is qualified as an emergency care attendant
or at a higher level of training under Section 773.046, 773.047,
773.048, 773.049, or 773.0495, Health and Safety Code; or
(14) an individual who is employed or formally
designated as a chaplain for:
(A) an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or
other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of
this state;
(B) a law enforcement agency of this state or of a
political subdivision of this state; or
(C) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act to Section
615.003, Government Code, relating to the death of certain
chaplains applies only in relation to a death that occurs on or
after the effective date of this Act. Matters regarding
eligibility, payment, and benefits under Chapter 615, Government
Code, in relation to a death that occurs before the effective date
of this Act are governed by the law in effect when the death occurs,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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