AEZ H.B. 61 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE H.B. 61 By: Kamel 4-2-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, the murder of an emergency care attendant or emergency medical technician, who is in the discharge of an official duty, is not classified as a capital offense. These technicians are often called to respond to the same situations as peace officers and therefore they often face the same dangers. PURPOSE HB 61, as proposed, provides that the murder of an emergency care attendant or emergency medical technician, who is in the discharge of an official duty, is a capital murder offense. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 19.03(a), Penal Code, Capital Murder, to include an emergency care attendant or emergency medical technician who is in the discharge of an official duty. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.