TITLE: Relating to providing financial assistance to certain survivors of an inmate who died as a result of a traffic accident that occurred while the inmate was being transported by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or a person under contract with the department.

SUMMARY: Relating to providing financial assistance to certain survivors of an inmate who died as a result of a traffic accident that occurred while the inmate was being transported by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or a person under contract with the department.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to providing financial assistance to certain survivors of an inmate who died as a result of a traffic accident that occurred while the inmate was being transported by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or a person under contract with the department. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 501.025 to read as follows: Sec. 501.025. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE SURVIVOR OF CERTAIN INMATES. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a survivor of an inmate confined by the department is eligible for the payment of assistance under Chapter 615 if: (1) the inmate died: (A) while the inmate was under the care and custody of the department; and (B) as a result of personal injuries sustained in a transportation accident that occurred while the inmate was being lawfully transported to or from an intake facility, holding facility, unit of assignment, hospital, or any other facility operated by or under contract with the department, regardless of whether the transportation of the inmate was conducted by the department or a person under contract with the department; and (2) the survivor is: (A) the surviving spouse of the inmate; (B) a surviving child of the inmate, if there is no surviving spouse; or (C) a surviving parent of the inmate, if there is no surviving spouse or child. (b) Chapter 615 applies to an eligible survivor of an inmate under this section in the same manner as that chapter applies to an eligible survivor under Section 615.021. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act relating to the death of certain inmates under the custody of the Department of Criminal Justice applies only in relation to a death that occurs on or after January 1, 2015. Matters regarding eligibility, payment, and benefits under Section 501.025, Government Code, as added by this Act, or Chapter 615, Government Code, in relation to a death that occurs before January 1, 2015, are governed by the law in effect when the death occurs, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.