1-1  By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 413
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed February 1, 1995; February 2, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
    1-4  March 21, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
    1-5  Nays 0; March 21, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to workers' compensation insurance coverage for volunteer
    1-9  emergency service members and personnel.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 406, Labor Code, is amended
   1-12  by adding Section 406.097 to read as follows:
   1-13        Sec. 406.097.  VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE MEMBERS AND
   1-14  PERSONNEL.  (a)  An emergency service organization which is not a
   1-15  political subdivision or which is separate from any political
   1-16  subdivision may elect to obtain workers' compensation insurance
   1-17  coverage for its named volunteer members who participate in the
   1-18  normal functions of the organization.  A person covered under this
   1-19  subsection is entitled to full medical benefits and the minimum
   1-20  compensation payments under the law.
   1-21        (b)  In this section, unless a different meaning is plainly
   1-22  required by law:
   1-23              (1)  "Emergency service organization" means any
   1-24  organization established to provide for the general public:
   1-25                    (A)  fire prevention and suppression;
   1-26                    (B)  hazardous materials response operations; or
   1-27                    (C)  emergency medical services.
   1-28              (2)  "Volunteer members" means individuals who are
   1-29  carried on the membership list of the organization as active
   1-30  participants and who receive no remuneration for their services.
   1-31              (3)  "Normal functions" means any response to,
   1-32  participation in, or departure from an incident scene; training;
   1-33  meetings; performance of equipment maintenance; or organizational
   1-34  functions.
   1-35              (4)  "Political subdivision" means a county,
   1-36  municipality, special district, school district, junior college
   1-37  district, housing authority, community center for mental health and
   1-38  mental retardation services established under Subchapter A, Chapter
   1-39  534, Health and Safety Code, or any other legally constituted
   1-40  political subdivision of the state.
   1-41        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-42  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-43  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-44  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-45  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-46  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-47  passage, and it is so enacted.
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