BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3132

By: Hefner

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the surviving spouse of a paid jailer and certain county jailers or guards killed in the line of duty should be provided the same financial assistance as provided to the surviving spouse of certain other law enforcement officers and employees killed in the line of duty. H.B. 3132 seeks to provide for this extension of benefits.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3132 amends the Government Code to include an eligible surviving spouse of a paid jailer and an eligible surviving spouse of a county jailer or guard appointed by a sheriff to perform specified duties and certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, who was killed in the line of duty and who had not qualified for an annuity under an employees' retirement plan among persons to whom the state is required to pay funeral expenses related to the deceased person and monthly payments in an amount calculated by a certain formula. The bill applies to a payment of assistance to survivors of certain law enforcement officers and employees on or after the bill's effective date regardless of the date the officer or employee died.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.