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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, firefighters, and other public employees |
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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 615.022, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 615.022. PAYMENT TO SURVIVORS. (a) If there is an |
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eligible surviving spouse, the state shall pay the benefits |
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described by Subsections (d) and (e) [$500,000] to the eligible |
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surviving spouse. |
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(b) If there is no eligible surviving spouse, the state |
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shall pay the benefits described by Subsections (d) and (e) |
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[$500,000] in equal shares to surviving children. |
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(c) If there is no eligible surviving spouse or child, the |
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state shall pay the benefits described by Subsection (d) [$500,000] |
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in equal shares to surviving parents. |
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(d) An eligible survivor, or eligible survivors in equal |
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shares, are entitled to receive a lump sum payment in the amount |
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provided by this subsection. The lump sum payment amount payable to |
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an eligible survivor during the 12 months beginning September 1, |
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2017, is $500,000. Effective September 1 of each following year, |
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the board of trustees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas by |
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rule shall adjust the amount of the lump sum payment required under |
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this subsection by an amount equal to the percentage change in the |
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Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the |
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Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor |
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for the preceding year. |
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(e) In addition to the lump sum payment under Subsection |
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(d), an eligible survivor, or eligible survivors in equal shares, |
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are entitled to receive a total amount paid as a monthly annuity |
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over 30 years as provided by this subsection. The total amount |
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payable to an eligible survivor during the 12 months beginning |
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September 1, 2017, as a monthly annuity over 30 years is $500,000. |
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Effective September 1 of each following year, the board of trustees |
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of the Employees Retirement System of Texas by rule shall adjust the |
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amount of the total amount paid as a monthly annuity over 30 years |
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under this subsection by an amount equal to the percentage change in |
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the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the |
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Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor |
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for the preceding year. |
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SECTION 2. 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 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a |
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payment of assistance to survivors of certain public employees on |
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or after the effective date of this Act regardless of the date the |
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public employee died. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |