1-1  By:  Harris of Tarrant                                 S.B. No. 312
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1993; February 11, 1993,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
    1-4  March 29, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,
    1-5  Nays 0; March 29, 1993, sent to printer.)
    1-6                            COMMITTEE VOTE
    1-7                          Yea     Nay      PNV      Absent 
    1-8        Harris of Dallas   x                               
    1-9        Rosson             x                               
   1-10        Carriker           x                               
   1-11        Henderson          x                               
   1-12        Leedom                                        x    
   1-13        Lucio              x                               
   1-14        Luna                                          x    
   1-15        Nelson             x                               
   1-16        Patterson          x                               
   1-17        Shelley            x                               
   1-18        Sibley             x                               
   1-19        West               x                               
   1-20        Whitmire                                      x    
   1-21                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
   1-22                                AN ACT
   1-23  relating to certain fire protection personnel regulated and
   1-24  assisted by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
   1-25        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-26        SECTION 1.  Section 419.021, Government Code, is amended to
   1-27  read as follows:
   1-28        Sec. 419.021.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
   1-29              (1)  "Aircraft crash and rescue fire protection
   1-30  personnel" means permanent, fully paid, full-time local
   1-31  governmental employees who, as a permanent duty assignment, fight
   1-32  aircraft fires at airports, stand by for potential crash landings,
   1-33  and perform aircraft crash rescue.
   1-34              (2)  "Fire department" means a department of a local
   1-35  government with permanent, fully paid, full-time employees
   1-36  organized to prevent or suppress fires.
   1-37              (3)  "Fire protection personnel" means:
   1-38                    (A)  permanent, fully paid, full-time law
   1-39  enforcement officers designated as fire and arson investigators by
   1-40  an appropriate local authority;
   1-41                    (B)  aircraft crash and rescue fire protection
   1-42  personnel; or
   1-43                    (C)  permanent, fully paid, full-time fire
   1-44  department employees who are not secretaries, stenographers,
   1-45  clerks, budget analysts, or similar support staff persons or other
   1-46  administrative employees and who are assigned duties in one or more
   1-47  of the following categories:
   1-48                          (i)  fire suppression;
   1-49                          (ii)  fire inspection;
   1-50                          (iii)  fire and arson investigation;
   1-51                          (iv)  marine fire fighting;
   1-52                          (v)  aircraft crash fire fighting and
   1-53  rescue;
   1-54                          (vi)  fire training;
   1-55                          (vii)  fire education;
   1-56                          (viii)  fire administration; and
   1-57                          (ix)  any other position necessarily or
   1-58  customarily related to fire prevention and suppression.
   1-59              (4)  "Fully paid fire protection personnel" means
   1-60  personnel whose annual earnings, including benefits and expenses,
   1-61  are at least equal to the amount to be earned by working 1,300
   1-62  hours at minimum wage.
   1-63              (5)  "Local government" means a municipality, a county,
   1-64  a special-purpose district or authority, or any other political
   1-65  subdivision of the state.
   1-66              (6) <(5)>  "Marine fire protection personnel" means
   1-67  permanent, fully paid, full-time local governmental employees who
   1-68  work aboard a fireboat and fight fires that occur on or adjacent to
    2-1  a waterway, waterfront, channel, or turning basin.
    2-2              (7) <(6)>  "Protective clothing" means garments,
    2-3  including turnout coats, bunker coats, boots, gloves, trousers,
    2-4  helmets, and protective hoods, worn by fire protection personnel in
    2-5  the course of performing fire-fighting operations.
    2-6        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-7        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
   2-12                               * * * * *
   2-13                                                         Austin,
   2-14  Texas
   2-15                                                         March 29, 1993
   2-16  Hon. Bob Bullock
   2-17  President of the Senate
   2-18  Sir:
   2-19  We, your Committee on State Affairs to which was referred S.B.
   2-20  No. 312, have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed
   2-21  to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do
   2-22  pass and be printed.
   2-23                                                         Harris of
   2-24  Dallas, Chairman
   2-25                               * * * * *
   2-26                               WITNESSES
   2-27                                                  FOR   AGAINST  ON
   2-28  ___________________________________________________________________
   2-29  Name:  Greg Kunkel                               x
   2-30  Representing:  Friendswood Vol Fire Dept
   2-31  City:  Friendswood
   2-32  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-33  Name:  Jon M. Hutchens                           x
   2-34  Representing:  Houston Fire Dept
   2-35  City:  Houston
   2-36  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-37  Name:  Kathleen Hutchens                         x
   2-38  Representing:  Harris County Fire Fighters
   2-39  City:  Houston
   2-40  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-41  Name:  Ray Williamson                            x
   2-42  Representing:  Wharton Fire Dept
   2-43  City:  Wharton
   2-44  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-45  Name:  Charlie Hester                            x
   2-46  Representing:  State Firemens/Fire Marshals
   2-47  City:  Austin
   2-48  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-49  Name:  Garon Salter                              x
   2-50  Representing:  Brady Fire Dept
   2-51  City:  Brady
   2-52  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-53  Name:  Joe Erwin                                 x
   2-54  Representing:  City of Hurst
   2-55  City:  Hurst
   2-56  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-57  Name:  Jack Mitchell                             x
   2-58  Representing:  Central TX Vol Firemen Assn
   2-59  City:  Copperas Cove
   2-60  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-61                                                  FOR   AGAINST  ON
   2-62  ___________________________________________________________________
   2-63  Name:  Alfred Gerik                              x
   2-64  Representing:  McLennan County Fire Protection
   2-65  City:  West
   2-66  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   2-67  Name:  Don Hoffman                               x
   2-68  Representing:  State Firemen/Fire Marshal
   2-69  City:  Brenham
   2-70  -------------------------------------------------------------------
    3-1  Name:  John Walters                              x
    3-2  Representing:  Lockhart Fire Dept
    3-3  City:  Lockhart
    3-4  -------------------------------------------------------------------
    3-5  Name:  Cary Roccatorte                           x
    3-6  Representing:  Lockhart Fire Dept
    3-7  City:  Lockhart
    3-8  -------------------------------------------------------------------
    3-9  Name:  Ronnie Moore                              x
   3-10  Representing:  Kilgore Fire Dept
   3-11  City:  Kilgore
   3-12  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-13  Name:  James McDonald                            x
   3-14  Representing:  Tarrant County Firefighters
   3-15  City:  Crowley
   3-16  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-17  Name:  Jim Cameron                               x
   3-18  Representing:  Pasadena Fire Dept
   3-19  City:  Pasadena
   3-20  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-21  Name:  Donald Pullin                             x
   3-22  Representing:  Refugio Vol Fire Dept
   3-23  City:  Refugio
   3-24  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-25  Name:  Wayne E. Popp                             x
   3-26  Representing:  Louise Vol Fire Dept
   3-27  City:  Louise
   3-28  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-29  Name:  Marvin Dawson                             x
   3-30  Representing:  Brownsfield Vol Fire Dept
   3-31  City:  Brownfield
   3-32  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-33  Name:  Harold Brodt                              x
   3-34  Representing:  State Fireman's/Fire Marshal
   3-35  City:  Seguin
   3-36  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-37  Name:  Mike Higgins                                      x     x
   3-38  Representing:  Texas State Assn of Firefighters
   3-39  City:  Austin
   3-40  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-41  Name:  Donald Hoffman                            x
   3-42  Representing:  Brenham Fire Dept.
   3-43  City:  Brenham
   3-44  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-45  Name:  Jerry Dunn                                x
   3-46  Representing:  City of Benbrook
   3-47  City:  Benbrook
   3-48  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-49  Name:  Ken Bailey                                        x
   3-50  Representing:  TX St Assn of Fire Fighters
   3-51  City:  Austin
   3-52  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-53  Name:  Alton Bostick                                           x
   3-54  Representing:  Tx Comm of Fire Protection
   3-55  City:  Austin
   3-56  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-57  Name:  Mike Hines                                              x
   3-58  Representing:  Tx Comm on Fire Protection
   3-59  City:  Austin
   3-60  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-61                                                  FOR   AGAINST  ON
   3-62  ___________________________________________________________________
   3-63  Name:  Rick Mumey                                        x
   3-64  Representing:  Houston Professional Firefighters
   3-65  City:  Houston
   3-66  -------------------------------------------------------------------
   3-67  Name:  Bob Richardson                            x
   3-68  Representing:  City of Benbrook
   3-69  City:  Benbrook
   3-70  -------------------------------------------------------------------