By: Gutierrez	S.B. No. 1710

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the creation of the School Violence Victims'
	Compensation Fund
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Title 4, Government Code, is amended by adding to
	Chapter 403, subchapter U to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER U. GENERAL PROVISIONS
	Sec. 403.601.  SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the
	School Violence Victims' Compensation Act.
	Sec. 403.602.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The
	legislature recognizes that it shall be the duty of the legislature
	to establish and make suitable provision for the support and
	maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools. The
	legislature further finds that a public school system in which
	Texas students are not safe from gun violence is not efficient nor
	suitable. The legislature also finds that there is a public
	calamity in relation to gun violence in Texas public schools
	necessitating a grant of aid to the students, teachers, and
	educational support personnel that have been victims of gun
	violence.
	(b)  It is the legislature's intent that the compensation
	provided to the innocent victims of the violent gun-related crime
	that have occurred and will occur at Texas public schools
	ameliorates the pain caused by those attacks.
	Sec. 406.603.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
	(1)  "Claimant" means any of the following individuals,
	other than a service provider, who is entitled to file or has filed
	a claim for compensation under this chapter:
	(A)  an authorized individual acting on behalf of
	a victim;
	(B)  a dependent of a victim who died or was
	injured as a result of the criminally injurious conduct;
	(C)  an immediate family member or a household
	member of a victim;
	(D)  an authorized individual acting on behalf of
	a child described by Paragraph (B) or (C).
	(2)  "Household member" means an individual who:
	(A)  is related by consanguinity or affinity to
	the victim or is the legal guardian of the victim; and
	(B)  resided in the same permanent household as
	the victim at the time that the criminally injurious conduct
	occurred.
	(4)  "Immediate family member" means an individual who
	is related to a victim within the second degree by consanguinity or
	affinity or is a legal guardian of the victim.
	(5)  "Victim" means an individual who suffered personal
	injury or death as a result of a gun-related incident in a Texas
	public school since January 1, 2018.
	Sec. 403.604  TYPES OF ASSISTANCE. (a) On receiving and
	reviewing an application for compensation under Section 403.605,
	the Comptroller shall authorize a cash payment within 60 days to a
	victim, a victim's immediate family, or a member of the household of
	the victim if the victim was seriously physically injured,
	murdered, or suffering from mental or emotional disability on
	account of a gun-related incident in a Texas public school.
	(b)  After certifying the veracity of the application, the
	Comptroller shall authorize the following cash payment to a victim,
	a victim's immediate family, or a member of the household of the
	victim:
	(1)  $1,000,000 dollars per deceased victim payable to
	the victim's immediate surviving family or members of the
	household;
	(2)  $500,000 dollars per seriously physically injured
	victim payable to the victim;
	(3)  $100,000 dollars per mental or emotional
	disability victim payable to the victim; and
	(4)  $50,000 per physically injured victim payable to
	the victim.
	(c)  Upon reviewing the totality of factual circumstances
	surrounding the application, the Comptroller may divide the award
	between members of the immediate family, household, or legal
	guardians.
	Sec. 403.605.  APPLICATION FOR COMPENSATION. (a) An
	applicant for compensation under this chapter must apply in writing
	on a form prescribed by the Comptroller.
	(b)  An application for compensation under this chapter must
	be verified and contain:
	(1)  the date on which the injurious conduct occurred;
	(2)  a description of the nature and circumstances of
	the injurious conduct;
	(3)  a statement indicating the extent of the
	psychological or physical injury caused by the injurious conduct,
	including any disability resulting from the injury incurred;
	(4)  an authorization permitting the board to verify
	the contents of the application; and
	(5)  the relationship by consanguinity, affinity, or
	legal guardianship to any victim of a gun-related incident in a
	Texas public school.
	Sec. 403.606.  REVIEW OF APPLICATION. (a) The Comptroller
	shall review each application for compensation described by Section
	403.605 to ensure the application is complete.
	(b)  The Comptroller shall return to the claimant or victim
	any application that is incomplete and shall provide a brief
	statement showing the additional information required. Not later
	than the 30th day after the date of receiving a returned
	application, a claimant or victim may provide the additional
	information.
	(c)  The Comptroller may investigate an application.
	(d)  As part of the Comptroller's review and verification
	duties under this subchapter, the Comptroller may investigate the
	application for truthfulness.
	Sec. 403.607.  METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Comptroller shall pay
	an award in a lump sum.
	SECTION 2.  This compensation shall be cumulative of all
	other remedies, benefits, or compensation provided for by law.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.