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.