Relating to certain claims for benefits or compensation by a death investigation professional.
HB 1306 ensures death investigation professionals in Texas - such as justice of the peace officers, death investigators under Article 49.23, and medical examiner staff - are reimbursed for preventative medical care after exposure to contagious diseases during work. It requires counties to cover these costs when exposure occurs while conducting or assisting in an inquest (death investigation), and specifies that treatment must be preventative (not for ordinary illnesses). The bill also guarantees these professionals the right to choose their physician for such care and access preventative immunizations for work-related disease exposure. This applies directly to county-employed death investigation staff and aligns their benefits with other public safety employees under existing government code provisions.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Mar 10, 2025
Signed Jun 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
5 edits
·
Jun 20, 2025
MODERATE
This bill expands eligibility for workers' compensation benefits to include death investigation professionals (such as medical examiners and death investigators) alongside existing public safety employees. It also adds new categories of eligible individuals for certain death benefit provisions and establishes expedited medical benefit procedures for serious injuries sustained by death investigation professionals in the course of their employment.
Scope change
The bill significantly broadens the scope of who qualifies for workers' compensation benefits and related protections, adding death investigation professionals and several new categories of individuals to existing lists of eligible survivors and employees.
ELIGIBILITY
Death investigation professionals (medical examiners, death investigators, and justices of the peace) are now explicitly included as eligible for reimbursement of medical expenses when exposed to contagious diseases.
New categories of individuals are added to the list of eligible survivors, including emergency medical services volunteers, chaplains for fire departments and law enforcement, trainees, and specific Department of Public Safety and Parks and Wildlife employees.
REQUIREMENT
A new section establishes expedited medical benefit procedures for death investigation professionals who sustain serious bodily injuries in the course of their employment.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'public safety employee' was updated to include emergency medical services employees, and the definition of 'death investigation professional' was expanded.
TIMELINE
The Act takes effect on September 1, 2025.
Floor votes · House May 10, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
55
Key actions
17
Committee
11
Amendments
2
Jun 20, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
May 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage reported
lower
May 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
May 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
May 12, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Justice
upper
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
May 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Recalled from subcommittee
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in subcommittee
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
3 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Brooks Landgraf
RRepublican
P
Janis Holt
RRepublican
P
Kevin Sparks
RRepublican
Co
CB
César Blanco
DDemocratic
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