88R678 SGM-F
 
  By: Raymond H.B. No. 835
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the provision of financial assistance to survivors of
  certain members of the Texas military forces.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 615.003, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 615.003.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
  eligible survivors of the following individuals:
               (1)  an individual:
                     (A)  elected, appointed, or employed as a peace
  officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state under
  Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law; or
                     (B)  employed as a peace officer by a private
  institution of higher education, including a private junior
  college, that is located in this state under Section 51.212,
  Education Code;
               (2)  a paid probation officer appointed by the director
  of a community supervision and corrections department who has the
  duties set out in Section 76.002 and the qualifications set out in
  Section 76.005, or who was appointed in accordance with prior law;
               (3)  a parole officer employed by the Texas Department
  of Criminal Justice who has the duties set out in Section 508.001
  and the qualifications set out in Section 508.113 or in prior law;
               (4)  a paid jailer;
               (5)  a member of an organized police reserve or
  auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing
  criminal laws;
               (6)  a member of the class of employees of the
  correctional institutions division formally designated as
  custodial personnel under Section 615.006 by the Texas Board of
  Criminal Justice or its predecessor in function;
               (7)  a jailer or guard of a county jail who is appointed
  by the sheriff and who:
                     (A)  performs a security, custodial, or
  supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or
  discharge of prisoners; and
                     (B)  is certified by the Texas Commission on Law
  Enforcement;
               (8)  a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas
  Juvenile Justice Department;
               (9)  an employee of the Health and Human Services
  Commission [Department of Aging and Disability Services or
  Department of State Health Services] who:
                     (A)  works at the commission's [department's]
  maximum security unit; or
                     (B)  performs on-site services for the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice;
               (10)  an individual who is employed by the state or a
  political or legal subdivision and is subject to certification by
  the Texas Commission on Fire Protection;
               (11)  an individual employed by the state or a
  political or legal subdivision whose principal duties are aircraft
  crash and rescue fire fighting;
               (12)  a member of an organized volunteer fire-fighting
  unit that:
                     (A)  renders fire-fighting services without
  remuneration; and
                     (B)  conducts a minimum of two drills each month,
  each two hours long;
               (13)  an individual who:
                     (A)  performs emergency medical services or
  operates an ambulance;
                     (B)  is employed by a political subdivision of the
  state or is an emergency medical services volunteer as defined by
  Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code; and
                     (C)  is qualified as an emergency care attendant
  or at a higher level of training under Section 773.046, 773.047,
  773.048, 773.049, or 773.0495, Health and Safety Code;
               (14)  an individual who is employed or formally
  designated as a chaplain for:
                     (A)  an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or
  other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of
  this state;
                     (B)  a law enforcement agency of this state or of a
  political subdivision of this state; or
                     (C)  the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
               (15)  an individual who is employed by the state or a
  political subdivision of the state and who is considered by the
  governmental employer to be a trainee for a position otherwise
  described by this section;
               (16)  an individual who is employed by the Department
  of Public Safety and, as certified by the director, is:
                     (A)  deployed into the field in direct support of
  a law enforcement operation, including patrol, investigative,
  search and rescue, crime scene, on-site communications, or special
  operations; and
                     (B)  given a special assignment in direct support
  of operations relating to organized crime, criminal interdiction,
  border security, counterterrorism, intelligence, traffic
  enforcement, emergency management, regulatory services, or special
  investigations; [or]
               (17)  an individual who is employed by the Parks and
  Wildlife Department and, as certified by the executive director of
  the Parks and Wildlife Department, is:
                     (A)  deployed into the field in direct support of
  a law enforcement operation, including patrol, investigative,
  search and rescue, crime scene, on-site communications, or special
  operations; and
                     (B)  given a special assignment in direct support
  of operations relating to organized crime, criminal interdiction,
  border security, counterterrorism, intelligence, traffic
  enforcement, emergency management, regulatory services, or special
  investigations; or
               (18)  a member of the Texas military forces who is on
  state active duty, as those terms are defined by Section 437.001.
         SECTION 2.  (a) The change in law made by this Act relating
  to the death of a member of the Texas military forces applies only
  in relation to a death that occurs on or after the effective date of
  this Act. Matters regarding eligibility, payment, and benefits
  under Chapter 615, Government Code, in relation to a death that
  occurs before the effective date of this Act are governed by the law
  in effect on the date the death occurs, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the
  change in law made by this Act applies in relation to the death of a
  member of the Texas military forces that occurs on or after May 31,
  2021, if the member died while serving on state active duty as a
  result of the disaster declaration issued by the governor under
  Section 418.014, Government Code, relating to a surge of
  individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.