HBA-EDN H.B. 522 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 522
By: Tillery
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/13/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, permanently disabled officers who were injured in the
line of duty as a result of another person's criminally injurious conduct
are eligible for benefits through a local disability plan.  However,
benefits received under such plans may not make up for the total amount of
lost income or provide for continuing medical expenses.  House Bill 522
allows certain officers who have been permanently disabled through
criminally injurious conduct to have access to the Attorney  General's
Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 522 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide that this
Act be known as the Bill Biles Law.  The bill authorizes a peace officer or
a former peace officer injured after August 31, 1989, and before September
2, 2001, as a result of the criminally injurious conduct of another person
while the officer was performing duties as a peace officer to file an
application for compensation not later than September 1, 2002.  The bill
excludes such a peace officer from the requirement under current law that
an application for compensation not be filed later than three years from
the date of the criminally injurious conduct.  The provision expires
September 2, 2002.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.