1-1 By: Chisum (Senate Sponsor - Bivins) H.B. No. 2438 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997; 1-3 May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Economic 1-4 Development; May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the fire insurance rates and fire suppression ratings 1-9 of a municipality at or near the state's borders. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 5, Insurance Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Article 5.25-3 to read as follows: 1-13 Art. 5.25-3. FIRE INSURANCE RATES AND FIRE SUPPRESSION 1-14 RATINGS FOR BORDER MUNICIPALITY. The commissioner, in adopting 1-15 fire insurance rates or in assigning or evaluating a fire 1-16 suppression rating for a municipality at or near the border between 1-17 this state and another state or the United Mexican States, shall 1-18 take into account the existence and capabilities of a fire 1-19 department or volunteer fire department that serves an adjoining or 1-20 nearby municipality in the other state or the United Mexican States 1-21 and that by agreement or by long-standing practice provides fire 1-22 suppression services to the Texas municipality. 1-23 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-28 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-29 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-30 * * * * *