1-1 By: Bonnen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Jackson) H.B. No. 2110 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 1999; 1-3 April 20, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; April 29, 1999, reported favorably by 1-5 the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 29, 1999, sent to 1-6 printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the provision of insurance coverage for county officers 1-10 and employees. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 157, Local Government Code, 1-13 is amended by adding Section 157.043 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 157.043. GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR COUNTY 1-15 OFFICIALS. (a) In this section, "county officer or employee" 1-16 includes a county or precinct peace officer, the district attorney, 1-17 or an officer of a special purpose district located in whole or in 1-18 part in the county. 1-19 (b) The commissioners court of a county may obtain insurance 1-20 or similar coverage from a governmental pool operating under 1-21 Chapter 119 or a self-insurance fund or risk retention group 1-22 operating under Chapter 1084, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular 1-23 Session, 1987 (Article 715c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), for a 1-24 county officer or employee, insuring the officer or employee from 1-25 liability for losses arising from the performance of official 1-26 duties by the officer or duties of employment by the employee, 1-27 including losses resulting from errors or omissions of the officer 1-28 or employee or from crime, dishonesty, or theft. 1-29 (c) An insurance policy purchased under Subsection (b) may 1-30 be a blanket insurance policy covering some or all county officers 1-31 or employees. The commissioners court may self-insure for part or 1-32 all of any deductible required under a blanket insurance policy. A 1-33 blanket insurance policy purchased under this subsection may be 1-34 used to satisfy any requirement for insurance required of a county 1-35 officer by any law. 1-36 (d) This section is cumulative of other statutory, common 1-37 law, or constitutional provisions. 1-38 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-39 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-40 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-41 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-42 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-43 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-44 * * * * *