By Brady, Smithee                                     H.B. No. 2395
       74R7022 PB-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the eligibility of professional athletes employed by a
    1-3  franchise of the International Hockey League for workers'
    1-4  compensation benefits.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 406.095(c), Labor Code, is amended to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        (c)  In this section, "professional athlete" means a person
    1-9  employed as a professional athlete by a franchise of:
   1-10              (1)  the National Football League;
   1-11              (2)  the National Basketball Association;
   1-12              (3)  the American League of Professional Baseball
   1-13  Clubs; <or>
   1-14              (4)  the National League of Professional Baseball
   1-15  Clubs; or
   1-16              (5)  the International Hockey League.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
   1-18  applies only to a claim for workers' compensation benefits based on
   1-19  a compensable injury that occurs on or after that date.  A claim
   1-20  based on a compensable injury that occurs before that date is
   1-21  governed by the law in effect on the date that the compensable
   1-22  injury occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   1-23  purpose.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.