H.B. No. 1526
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the provision of certain state benefits to certain
  peace officers and certain active and retired employees of
  community supervision and corrections departments.
         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 Department of Aging and
  Disability Services or Department of State Health Services who:
                     (A)  works at the 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.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 1551.114(e), (f), and (g), Insurance
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (e)  The state [An active employee described by Subsection
  (d) is not eligible to receive a state contribution under
  Subchapter G for premiums. The community justice assistance
  division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice] is
  responsible for payment of the contributions for each of a
  department's participating active employees and the employees'
  dependents [that the state would make] under Subchapter G [if the
  employees were state employees. Each covered active employee shall
  pay that portion of the cost of group coverages selected by the
  employee that exceeds the amount of division contributions].
         (f)  A retired employee is eligible to participate in the
  group benefits program on application to the board of trustees. On
  application, a retired employee is automatically covered by the
  basic coverage for annuitants unless the retired employee
  specifically waives coverage or unless the retired employee is
  expelled from the program. The state [A retired employee is not
  eligible to receive a state contribution under Subchapter G for
  premiums. The community justice assistance division of the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice] is responsible for payment of the
  contributions for each of a department's retired employees and the
  retired employees' participating dependents [that the state would
  make] under Subchapter G [if the retired employees were retired
  state employees. Each participating retired employee shall pay that
  portion of the cost of group coverage selected by the retired
  employee that exceeds the amount of division contributions]. The
  retired employee shall pay contributions required from the retired
  employee in the manner prescribed by the board of trustees. Each
  community supervision and corrections department shall notify each
  of its retired employees of the eligibility for participation and
  the costs associated with participation.
         (g)  All contributions received under this section from the
  state [community justice assistance division of the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice], active employees of community
  supervision and corrections departments, and retired employees of
  community supervision and corrections departments for basic,
  optional, and voluntary coverages under the group benefits program
  shall be paid into the employees life, accident, and health
  insurance and benefits fund and shall be used by the board of
  trustees to provide those coverages as provided by this chapter.
         SECTION 3.  Section 509.011(a-1), Government Code, and
  Section 1551.322, Insurance Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act relating to
  the death of peace officers employed by certain private
  institutions of higher education located in this state 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 when the death occurs, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1526 was passed by the House on April
  18, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 1526 on May 19, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas
  141, Nays 1,
  1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1526 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 16, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor