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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to financial assistance paid to the survivors of certain |
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law enforcement officers and employees killed in the line of duty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 615.121(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The state shall pay the following benefits to an |
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eligible surviving spouse of a peace officer, a jailer, a county |
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jailer or guard, or an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal |
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Justice, as described by Section 615.003(1), (4), [or] (6), or (7), |
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who was killed in the line of duty and who had not qualified for an |
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annuity under an employees' retirement plan: |
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(1) funeral expenses related to the deceased person |
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[officer or employee]; and |
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(2) monthly payments that equal the greater of: |
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(A) the monthly annuity payment the deceased |
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person [officer or employee] would have received if the deceased |
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person [officer or employee] had survived, had retired on the last |
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day of the month in which the person [officer or employee] died, and |
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had been eligible to receive an annuity under an employees' |
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retirement plan; or |
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(B) the minimum monthly annuity payment the |
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deceased person [officer or employee] would have received if the |
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person [officer or employee] had been employed by the state for 10 |
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years, had been paid a salary at the lowest amount provided by the |
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General Appropriations Act for a position of peace officer, jailer, |
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county jailer or guard, or employee of the Texas Department of |
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Criminal Justice, as described by Section 615.003(1), (4), [or] |
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(6), or (7), and had been eligible to retire under the Employees |
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Retirement System of Texas. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a |
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payment of assistance to survivors of certain law enforcement |
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officers and employees on or after the effective date of this Act |
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regardless of the date the officer or employee died. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |