BWH H.B. 2059 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


COUNTY AFFAIRS
H.B. 2059
By: Alvarado
4-2-97
Committee Report (Amended)



BACKGROUND 

Present law calls for motor vehicle liability insurance coverage to be
provided to peace officers, in the course of carrying out their official
duties in a county vehicle,  in counties having a population of 1.4
million or greater.  Peace officers in counties having a population lower
than that threshold, are not statutorily-entitled to motor vehicle
liability insurance at county expense. Also, the law does not allow the
county to provide liability insurance for privately owned vehicles used
for official duties. 

PURPOSE

This legislation would require a county with a population of  1 million or
more to provide peace officers with motor vehicle liability insurance
while using county or private vehicles for official duties. 

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 157.042, Local Government Code, as follows:

 1) Subsection (a) is amended to require a county with a population of
more than one million to insure its peace officers' with liability
insurance for county and privately owned motor vehicles to the extent used
for the performance of county business or law enforcement duties; 
 2) Subsection (b) makes a conforming change;
 3) Subsection (c) provides a county may be self-insured under Section
601.124, Transportation Code; and 
 4)  Subsection (d) makes a conforming change.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.


EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No. 1 changes the population bracket in Section
157.042(a) from 1 million to 1,185,000.