By Yarbrough                                           H.B. No. 901
       74R1395 PB-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the payment of workers' compensation benefits for
    1-3  certain county law enforcement officers.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 504, Labor Code, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 504.0125 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 504.0125.  COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT
    1-8  OFFICERS.  (a)  A county shall pay income benefits for a
    1-9  compensable injury incurred by a county law enforcement officer
   1-10  from the date of the injury.  Section 408.082 does not affect
   1-11  eligibility for income benefits under this section.
   1-12        (b)  For purposes of this section, "county law enforcement
   1-13  officer" means:
   1-14              (1)  the county sheriff;
   1-15              (2)  a deputy sheriff, constable, deputy constable, or
   1-16  other county law enforcement official or peace officer; and
   1-17              (3)  a county jailer who:
   1-18                    (A)  has completed a course of training operated
   1-19  or licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards
   1-20  and Education under Section 415.054(a), Government Code; or
   1-21                    (B)  is exempt from the requirements imposed
   1-22  under Section 415.054(a), Government Code, under Section 415.054(b)
   1-23  of that code.
   1-24        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
    2-1  applies only to a claim for workers' compensation benefits that is
    2-2  filed on or after that date.  A claim filed before that date is
    2-3  governed by the law in effect on the date that the claim was filed,
    2-4  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-7  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-8  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-9  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.