By Alvarado                                            H.B. No. 108
         76R139 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 1,185,000 [1.4
1-10     million] shall insure its sheriff, constables, and full-time
1-11     deputies of those officers against liability to third persons
1-12     arising from the 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.
 2-4           (d)  Liability coverage required under this section must be
 2-5     in amounts equal to or greater than the amounts required by Chapter
 2-6     601, Transportation Code.
 2-7           (e)  In this section, "motor vehicle" means a vehicle for
 2-8     which motor vehicle insurance is written under Subchapter A,
 2-9     Chapter 5, Insurance Code.
2-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.