BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2503

By: Kacal

Business & Industry

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that the surviving spouses of certain first responders are eligible to receive death benefits for life, regardless of whether the spouse chooses to remarry. C.S.H.B. 2503 seeks to ensure that the surviving spouse of a peace officer is afforded the same opportunity to remarry while retaining death 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

C.S.H.B. 2503 amends the Labor Code to make a remarried eligible spouse of an individual elected, appointed, or employed as a peace officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state or employed as such by a private institution of higher education, including a private junior college, located in Texas and who suffered death in the course and scope of employment or while providing services as a volunteer eligible for death benefits for life under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2503 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a peace officer employed by a private institution of higher education in Texas who died in the course and scope of employment or while providing volunteer services among those whose eligible remarried spouse is eligible for death benefits for life.