BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 872

By: Hefner

Appropriations

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that the financial assistance paid to the survivors of certain law enforcement officers and employees killed in the line of duty who had not worked in that capacity long enough to qualify for an annuity under an employees' retirement plan is currently not available to eligible survivors of certain jailers and guards. H.B. 872 seeks to make that financial assistance available to eligible survivors of jailers and guards.

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. 872 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 the persons to whom the state is required to pay funeral expenses related to the deceased person and certain monthly financial assistance payments. 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, 2019.