HB 598

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
Sec. 615.003.  APPLICABILITY.  This chapter applies only to
eligible survivors of the following individuals:
(A)  elected, appointed, or employed as a peace
officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state under
Article 2A.001, 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,
(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;
(5)  a member of an organized police reserve or
auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing
(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
(A)  performs a security, custodial, or
supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or
(B)  is certified by the Texas Commission on Law
(8)  a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas
(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]
(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
(A)  renders fire-fighting services without
(B)  conducts a minimum of two drills each month,
(A)  performs emergency medical services or
(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
(A)  an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or
other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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.  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.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.