By Madla                                        S.B. No. 1181

      75R7825 DLF-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to motor vehicle liability insurance for vehicles operated

 1-3     by peace officers in certain counties.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 157.042, Local Government Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 157.042.  MOTOR VEHICLE [AUTOMOBILE] LIABILITY INSURANCE

 1-8     FOR PEACE OFFICERS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES [OF MORE THAN 1.4 MILLION].

 1-9     (a)  A county with a population of more than one [1.4] million

1-10     shall insure its sheriff, constables, and full-time deputies of

1-11     those officers against liability to third persons arising from the

1-12     operation or maintenance of:

1-13                 (1)  county-owned or county-leased motor vehicles; and

1-14                 (2)  privately owned motor vehicles to the extent used

1-15     for the performance of county business or law enforcement duties.

1-16           (b)  A county may satisfy the requirement of Subsection (a)

1-17     by requiring that the person to be covered purchase an extended

1-18     coverage endorsement to an individually owned liability insurance

1-19     policy and by reimbursing the person for its cost.  The extended

1-20     coverage endorsement must be in an amount equal to or greater than

1-21     that required by Subsection (d) and must extend coverage to include

1-22     the operation of [county] vehicles in the scope of the person's

1-23     employment.  The county may require a person insured in this manner

1-24     to provide proof of coverage.

 2-1           (c)  A county may elect to comply with the requirements of

 2-2     this section by self-insuring in accordance with Section 601.124,

 2-3     Transportation Code [34, Texas Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility

 2-4     Act (Article  6701h, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)].

 2-5           (d)  Liability coverage required under this section must be

 2-6     in amounts equal to or greater than the amounts required by Chapter

 2-7     601, Transportation Code [the Texas Motor Vehicle

 2-8     Safety-Responsibility Act (Article 6701h, Vernon's Texas Civil

 2-9     Statutes)].

2-10           (e)  In this section, "motor vehicle" means a vehicle for

2-11     which motor vehicle insurance is written under Subchapter A,

2-12     Chapter 5, Insurance Code.

2-13           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.