According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), the fiscal implications of HB 3626 cannot be determined because there is insufficient data on the number of justices of the peace whose survivors might become eligible for financial assistance under the bill. The bill would add justices of the peace to the list of individuals whose survivors are eligible for benefits under Chapter 615, Government Code.

The main potential state cost is the Chapter 615 lump-sum survivor benefit. For a death occurring in fiscal year 2025, that benefit amount is $611,135, paid from General Revenue funds. The amount is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, so future costs would rise or fall depending on the applicable adjustment and the number of qualifying deaths. Because LBB does not have data to estimate how many eligible claims could occur, the state fiscal impact is indeterminate rather than zero.

The bill would also add a justice of the peace to the First Responder Advisory Council, but LBB assumes that cost could be absorbed within existing resources. For local governments, LBB anticipates no significant fiscal implication. As a result, the fiscal exposure is primarily at the state level, tied to General Revenue-funded survivor benefits, with costs occurring only if a qualifying line-of-duty death occurs.

HB 3626 addresses a narrow recognition and survivor-benefit issue for justices of the peace. The bill analysis states that the author views justices of the peace as performing a critical public safety and public health role without receiving the same recognition and benefits as certain first responders. The bill responds by adding a justice of the peace to the First Responder Advisory Council, extending Chapter 615 survivor financial assistance to eligible survivors of justices of the peace, and creating a Star of Texas Award for Justices of the Peace.

The bill does not impose a new regulatory burden on individuals or businesses. It does not create a criminal offense, increase a criminal penalty, change parole or community supervision eligibility, or expressly grant new rulemaking authority. It also does not impose new licensing, permitting, reporting, or compliance obligations on private actors. From a regulatory standpoint, the bill is limited in scope.

The primary concern is government growth and taxpayer exposure. The bill expands Chapter 615 survivor-benefit eligibility to a new class of public officials and creates a new gubernatorially appointed advisory committee for the Star of Texas Award for Justices of the Peace. Although the advisory committee is small, it is still a new statutory body, and the benefit expansion creates a continuing state obligation when qualifying deaths occur.

The fiscal risk is indeterminate but potentially significant. According to the LBB, the fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because there is insufficient data on the number of justices of the peace whose survivors may become eligible for financial assistance. The LBB notes that the lump-sum Chapter 615 survivor benefit for a death occurring in fiscal year 2025 is $611,135 from General Revenue, adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

The Committee Substitute improves the bill by narrowing the introduced version. As filed, the bill applied more broadly to “coroners,” including justices of the peace, medical examiners, death investigators, and assisting employees. The committee substitute limits the benefit and award structure to justices of the peace, reducing the number of potentially covered individuals and narrowing the bill’s fiscal and administrative reach.

Even with that narrowing, the bill should be amended before passage. Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote NO on HB 3626 unless amended to limit open-ended fiscal exposure and avoid unnecessary administrative expansion. Recommended amendments include making Chapter 615 benefits for justices of the peace payable only from amounts specifically appropriated for that purpose, requiring biennial reporting on claims and payments, sunsetting the new award advisory committee, and using an existing Star of Texas review structure instead of creating a separate committee if feasible.

With those safeguards, the Legislature could address the bill’s stated recognition and survivor-benefit objective while better protecting taxpayers and limiting the precedent of expanding state benefit programs without fiscal controls. Without those amendments, the bill grows the scope of government and creates indeterminate General Revenue exposure.