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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of state death benefits to certain |
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federal law enforcement officers and special agents who assist |
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state and local law enforcement agencies in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 615.003, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 615.003. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to |
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eligible survivors of the following individuals: |
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(1) an individual elected, appointed, or employed as a |
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peace officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state |
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under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law; |
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(2) a paid probation officer appointed by the director |
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of a community supervision and corrections department who has the |
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duties set out in Section 76.002 and the qualifications set out in |
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Section 76.005, or who was appointed in accordance with prior law; |
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(3) a parole officer employed by the pardons and |
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paroles division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who |
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has the duties set out in Section 508.001 and the qualifications set |
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out in Section 508.113 or in prior law; |
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(4) a paid jailer; |
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(5) a member of an organized police reserve or |
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auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing |
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criminal laws; |
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(6) a member of the class of employees of the |
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institutional division or the state jail division of the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice formally designated as custodial |
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personnel under Section 615.006 by the Texas Board of Criminal |
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Justice or its predecessor in function; |
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(7) a jailer or guard of a county jail who is appointed |
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by the sheriff and who: |
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(A) performs a security, custodial, or |
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supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or |
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discharge of prisoners; and |
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(B) is certified by the Commission on Law |
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Enforcement Officer Standards and Education; |
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(8) a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas |
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Youth Commission; |
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(9) an employee of the [Texas] Department of State |
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Health Services or the Department of Aging and Disability Services |
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[Mental Health and Mental Retardation] who: |
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(A) works at the Department of State Health |
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Services' [department's] maximum security unit; or |
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(B) performs on-site services for the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice; |
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(10) an individual who is employed by the state or a |
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political or legal subdivision and is subject to certification by |
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the Texas Commission on Fire Protection; |
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(11) an individual employed by the state or a |
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political or legal subdivision whose principal duties are aircraft |
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crash and rescue fire fighting; |
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(12) a member of an organized volunteer fire-fighting |
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unit that: |
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(A) renders fire-fighting services without |
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remuneration; and |
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(B) conducts a minimum of two drills each month, |
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each two hours long; |
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(13) an individual who: |
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(A) performs emergency medical services or |
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operates an ambulance; |
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(B) is employed by a political subdivision of the |
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state or is an emergency medical services volunteer as defined by |
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Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code; and |
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(C) is qualified as an emergency care attendant |
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or at a higher level of training under Section 773.046, 773.047, |
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773.048, 773.049, or 773.0495, Health and Safety Code; [or] |
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(14) an individual who is employed or formally |
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designated as a chaplain for: |
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(A) an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or |
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other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of |
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this state; |
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(B) a law enforcement agency of this state or of a |
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political subdivision of this state; or |
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(C) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; or |
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(15) a federal law enforcement officer or special |
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agent, including a special investigator under Article 2.122, Code |
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of Criminal Procedure, who is performing duties in this state to |
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assist a state or local law enforcement agency of this state. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act relating to |
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the death of certain federal law enforcement officers or special |
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agents applies only in relation to a death that occurs on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. Matters regarding eligibility, |
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payment, and benefits under Chapter 615, Government Code, in |
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relation to a death that occurs before the effective date of this |
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Act are governed by the law in effect when the death occurs, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |