H.B. No. 2667

AN ACT

relating to certain insurance-related matters involving rural volunteer firefighters, volunteer police force members, or emergency services districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 614.072(b), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The director may adopt rules necessary to assist rural volunteer fire departments in the payment of:

(1) workers' compensation insurance;

(2) audit costs for workers' compensation claims in any year in which there is an abnormally high number of wildfires; and

(3) accidental death and disability insurance.

SECTION 2. Chapter 614, Government Code, is amended by adding Subchapter H to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER H. INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIRED FOR

VOLUNTEER POLICE FORCE MEMBERS

Sec. 614.121. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "volunteer police force member" means:

(1) a person summoned under Section 341.011, Local Government Code, to serve on a special police force;

(2) a police reserve force member appointed under Section 341.012, Local Government Code; and

(3) any other person assigned by a state agency or political subdivision to perform, without compensation, any duties typically performed by a peace officer.

Sec. 614.122. INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIRED. (a) Each volunteer police force member must be insured or covered by the applicable state agency or political subdivision against any injury suffered by the police force member in the course and scope of performing the person's assigned duties at the request of or under a contract with a state agency or political subdivision.

(b) The applicable state agency or political subdivision may satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a) by:

(1) providing insurance coverage; or

(2) entering into an interlocal agreement with another political subdivision providing for self-insurance.

SECTION 3. Section 775.084(i), Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

(i) This section does not apply to:

(1) the purchase or lease of real property;

(2) an item or service that the board determines can be obtained from only one source;

(3) a contract for fire extinguishment and suppression services, emergency rescue services, or ambulance services;

(4) an emergency expenditure;

(5) the purchase of vehicle fuel; [or]

(6) the purchase of firefighter bunker gear;

(7) the purchase of insurance coverage; or

(8) repairs funded by a payment made under an insurance claim.

SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Chapter 614, Government Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a volunteer police force member performing assigned duties on or after January 1, 2008.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2667 was passed by the House on May 11, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 4, 3 present, not voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2667 on May 25, 2007, and requested the appointment of a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 2667 on May 27, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 1, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2667 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 2667 on May 27, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________

Date

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Governor