75R11894 CAG-F                           

         By Bonnen, Flores                                     H.B. No. 2670

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2670:

         By Kamel                                          C.S.H.B. No. 2670

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the provision of insurance coverage for county officers

 1-3     and employees.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 157, Local Government Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 157.043 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 157.043.  GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR COUNTY

 1-8     OFFICIALS.  (a)  The commissioners court of a county may obtain

 1-9     insurance or similar coverage from a governmental pool operating

1-10     under Chapter 119 or a self-insurance fund or risk retention group

1-11     operating under Chapter 1084, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular

1-12     Session, 1987 (Article 715c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), for a

1-13     county officer or employee, insuring the officer or employee from

1-14     liability for losses arising from the performance of official

1-15     duties by the officer or duties of employment by the employee,

1-16     including losses resulting from errors or omissions of the officer

1-17     or employee or from crime, dishonesty, or theft.

1-18           (b)  An insurance policy purchased under Subsection (a) may

1-19     be a blanket insurance policy covering some or all county officers

1-20     or employees.  The commissioners court may self-insure for part or

1-21     all of any deductible required under a blanket insurance policy.  A

1-22     blanket insurance policy purchased under this subsection may be

1-23     used to satisfy any requirement for insurance required of a county

1-24     officer by any law.

 2-1           (c)  This section is cumulative of other statutory, common

 2-2     law, or constitutional provisions.

 2-3           (d)  In this section, "county officer or employee" includes a

 2-4     county or precinct peace officer, the district attorney, or an

 2-5     officer of a special purpose district located in whole or in part

 2-6     in the county.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.