If a Texas first responder dies in the line of duty: what the family receives and what they’ll need
If a Texas peace officer, firefighter, EMS member or other covered first responder dies in the line of duty, the family can receive several separate benefits: a state lump sum of at least $500,000 under Chapter 615, the federal PSOB benefit ($477,336 for deaths on or after October 1, 2026), pension survivor benefits, workers’ compensation, life insurance, and a full property tax exemption on the home for a surviving spouse. Each one has its own office and paperwork, so what helps a family most is knowing who to call and where the papers are.
This page is written for officers and for the people who love them. If you are a spouse asking “what happens to us?”, these are the answers official sources give, and the papers that make each one move.
What is the Texas Chapter 615 line-of-duty benefit?
Chapter 615 of the Texas Government Code pays survivors when an eligible person dies in the line of duty. The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) administers it. The death must result from a risk inherent to the duty, or a risk the general public is not usually exposed to. There is no age or length-of-service requirement, and the payments come in addition to other benefits, such as federal and educational benefits. It is not part of any retirement plan (ERS).
Who is covered: commissioned peace officers, firefighters certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, members of organized volunteer fire, police reserve or auxiliary units, members of EMS units, TDCJ custodial officers, aircraft crash and rescue firefighters, and others named in Chapter 615.
- Lump sum: at least $500,000, paid to the surviving spouse or, in equal shares, to surviving children or parents. The amount is adjusted each fiscal year by the CPI-U.
- Monthly payments for minor children: $400 for one child, $600 for two, $800 for three or more, paid to the parent or guardian until each child turns 18.
- Health, dental and vision: a surviving spouse can keep the employer’s health coverage until eligible for Medicare by paying the monthly premiums. Children can stay on the plans while under 26, also by paying premiums. Dental and vision are not available to married children.
- Funeral benefit and monthly spousal benefit: paid when the person who died was a commissioned peace officer, a jailer, county jailer or guard, or a TDCJ employee in an eligible position.
How to start: the employer or a family member contacts ERS at (877) 275-4377 (P.O. Box 13207, Austin, TX 78711-3207, Attn: Survivor Benefits). ERS then gathers the documents it needs from the right offices (ERS).
What does the federal PSOB program pay?
The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program pays a one-time federal benefit to eligible survivors: $477,336 for deaths on or after October 1, 2026, and $461,656 for deaths between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026 (BJA). It is not subject to federal income tax, and spouses and children may also qualify for education benefits (CRS). Who qualifies and how to file are in the PSOB guide.
What happens with the pension?
The pension plan pays survivor benefits by its own rules. Many Texas first responders are in TMRS (cities), TCDRS (counties) or a local fire fighters’ retirement system. For example, TCDRS pays a beneficiary a lifetime monthly benefit if the member had four or more years of service (TCDRS), and cities that participate in the TMRS supplemental death benefit pay a lump sum equal to the member’s annual salary (Tex. Gov’t Code 854.603). Details are in Texas first responder pensions and survivor benefits.
Does workers’ compensation pay a death benefit?
When the employer carries Texas workers’ compensation, death benefits can be paid to a surviving spouse, minor children, children under 25 enrolled in college, dependent grandchildren, other dependent family members, or non-dependent parents when there are no eligible dependents. The benefit is 75% of the employee’s average weekly wage, within state minimums and maximums, and burial costs are paid up to $10,000 for injuries on or after September 1, 2015. A beneficiary must file DWC Form-042 within one year of the death. Questions: 800-252-7031, option 1 (TDI).
What about life insurance and association benefits?
Many first responders have coverage the family doesn’t know about: a group life policy through the department, supplemental coverage bought at open enrollment, a union or association death benefit, or a private policy. Some counties also offer an optional group term life program through TCDRS; almost half of TCDRS employers do (TCDRS). Ask HR for a written list of every policy, its insurer and the beneficiary on file, and keep it with your family papers.
Is there a property tax exemption for the surviving spouse?
Yes. Texas Tax Code 11.134 gives the surviving spouse of certain first responders killed or fatally injured in the line of duty a total property tax exemption on the residence homestead, as long as the spouse has not remarried since the death. The application is Form 50-114, filed with the county appraisal district (Texas Comptroller, ERS).
Are there education benefits for the children?
ERS points families to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Division of Student Services, at (512) 427-6101 for state educational benefits (ERS). At the federal level, the PSOEA program pays eligible spouses and children $1,574 a month for full-time study, for up to 45 months (CRS).
What papers will the family need?
Each office asks for overlapping documents: certified death certificates, the marriage certificate, divorce decrees from earlier marriages, the children’s birth certificates, Social Security numbers, beneficiary designations, policy numbers, and the agency’s HR contact. TMRS, for example, asks for the person’s name, Social Security number, date of death, family contact information and marital status when a death is reported (TMRS). The full list is in the first responder family checklist.
What can you do now, while everyone is home safe?
- Sit down together and write the list of benefits, policies and contacts on this page.
- Check every beneficiary designation: pension, group life, supplemental life, association.
- Keep certified copies of your marriage certificate and the kids’ birth certificates in one place.
- Write down your funeral and honor-guard wishes, so the department and your family can carry them out.
▶ Watch how to set it up, step by step.
Keep it all in one place
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Texas pay the family of a first responder killed in the line of duty?
Under Chapter 615, Texas pays a lump sum of at least $500,000, adjusted yearly by the CPI-U, plus monthly payments for minor children of $400, $600 or $800 depending on the number of children.
Who is covered by Texas Chapter 615?
Commissioned peace officers, certified firefighters, members of volunteer fire, police reserve or auxiliary units, EMS unit members, TDCJ custodial officers, aircraft crash and rescue firefighters, and others named in Chapter 615 of the Government Code.
Is Chapter 615 paid in addition to the federal PSOB benefit?
Yes. ERS says Chapter 615 payments are in addition to other benefits, such as federal and educational benefits, and are not part of any retirement plan.
Does the spouse of a fallen firefighter get monthly payments in Texas?
The Chapter 615 monthly spousal benefit and funeral benefit apply when the person who died was a commissioned peace officer, jailer, county jailer or guard, or an eligible TDCJ employee. Surviving spouses of firefighters and EMS members can still receive the lump sum and other benefits.
How does a surviving spouse get the homestead exemption?
File Form 50-114 with the county appraisal district. Texas Tax Code 11.134 gives a total exemption on the residence homestead if the spouse has not remarried since the death.
Sources
- ERS: Chapter 615 survivor benefits (rev. 2/2/2024)
ers.texas.gov/PDFs/Chapter615 - BJA: PSOB benefits by year
bja.ojp.gov/program/psob/resources/benefits-by-year - Congressional Research Service, R45327: PSOB and PSOEA Programs (Jan. 28, 2026)
www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45327 - Texas Department of Insurance, DWC: Death and burial benefits
www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/employee/deathben.html - Texas Comptroller: property tax exemptions (Tax Code 11.134)
comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/ - TMRS: Report a death
www.tmrs.com/report-a-death - TCDRS: Survivor benefit
tcdrs.org/library/survivor-benefit - Tex. Gov't Code 854.603: TMRS supplemental death benefit
statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.854.htm
Updated November 2026. Every figure on this page was checked against the sources above.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and amounts change; check the official sources above or talk to a licensed professional about your situation.
More guides to get your family ready
The $477,336 federal benefit for deaths since Oct. 1, 2026: who qualifies, who receives it, the documents and the filing deadline.The first responder family checklist: what to have ready
Agency details, pension and beneficiaries, insurance, family records, funeral and honor-guard wishes, and who to call first.Texas first responder pensions and survivor benefits: TMRS, TCDRS and fire fighter pensions
How TMRS, TCDRS and local fire fighters’ systems handle a member’s death, what survivors file, and where to call.Guides for veteran families
VA burial, survivor and records guides for military and veteran families.See all guides →
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