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                                  * * * * *