By Tillery, Solis of Bexar, Reyna of Bexar,           H.B. No. 2298
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to benefits for certain disabled peace officers.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  This Act shall be known as the Bill Biles Law.
 1-5           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal
 1-6     Procedure, is amended by adding Article 56.375 to read as follows:
 1-7           Art. 56.375.  PAYMENTS FOR CERTAIN DISABLED PEACE OFFICERS.
 1-8     (a)  In this article, "peace officer":
 1-9                 (1)  means an individual elected, appointed, or
1-10     employed to serve as a peace officer for a governmental entity
1-11     under Article 2.12 or other law; and
1-12                 (2)  includes a former peace officer who because of an
1-13     injury suffered while performing duties as a peace officer is
1-14     entitled to receive payments under this article.
1-15           (b)  Article 56.37 does not apply to a peace officer injured
1-16     after August 31, 1989, and before September 2, 1999, as a result of
1-17     the criminally injurious conduct of another person while the
1-18     officer is performing duties as a peace officer.  Those peace
1-19     officers may file an application under this subchapter not later
1-20     than September 1, 2000, if they otherwise meet the requirements of
1-21     this subchapter.
1-22           (c)  This article expires September 2, 2000.
1-23           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-24           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.