1-1     By:  Gallego (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos)              H.B. No. 2706
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Administration; May 13, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 13, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to eligibility for workers' compensation benefits for
 1-9     certain persons who provide certain volunteer services.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 501, Labor Code, is amended
1-12     by adding Section 501.026 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 501.026.  COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN SERVICES PROVIDED BY
1-14     VOLUNTEERS.  (a) In this section, "disaster" means an occurrence in
1-15     which the governor has issued a declaration of a state of disaster
1-16     under Chapter 418, Government Code, or another occurrence that
1-17     initiates the state emergency management plan.
1-18           (b)  A person not otherwise covered by workers' compensation
1-19     insurance for the services performed under this section who
1-20     performs volunteer services for the state in a disaster or in
1-21     scheduled emergency response training under the direction of an
1-22     officer or employee of the state is entitled to medical benefits
1-23     under this chapter for an injury sustained by the person in the
1-24     course of providing those services.  For purposes of this
1-25     subsection, an injury is not sustained in the course of providing
1-26     services in a disaster unless the injury occurs while the state of
1-27     disaster may reasonably be considered to be in existence.
1-28           (c)  A person employed by a political subdivision who is
1-29     injured in the course of providing services described by Subsection
1-30     (b) is entitled to benefits as provided by that subsection only if
1-31     the services are performed outside the jurisdiction of the
1-32     political subdivision by which the person is employed.
1-33           (d)  A person entitled to benefits under this section may
1-34     receive the benefits only if the person seeks medical attention
1-35     from a doctor for the injury not later than 48 hours after the
1-36     occurrence of the injury or after the date the person knew or
1-37     should have known the injury occurred.  The person shall comply
1-38     with the requirements of Section 409.001 by providing notice of the
1-39     injury to the commission or the state agency with which the officer
1-40     or employee under Subsection (b) is associated.
1-41           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately and applies
1-42     only to a claim for workers' compensation benefits based on a
1-43     compensable injury that occurs on or after that date.  A claim
1-44     based on a compensable injury that occurs before the effective date
1-45     of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the injury
1-46     occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-47     purpose.
1-48           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-49     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-50     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-51     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-52     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-53     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-54     passage, and it is so enacted.
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