By Gallegos                                           S.B. No. 1324
         76R6836 JMM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to eligibility for workers' compensation benefits for
 1-3     certain persons who provide volunteer services in a declared
 1-4     emergency.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 501, Labor Code, is amended
 1-7     by adding Section 501.026 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 501.026.  COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN SERVICES PROVIDED BY
 1-9     VOLUNTEERS.  (a) In this section, "disaster" means an occurrence in
1-10     which the governor has issued a declaration of a state of disaster
1-11     under Chapter 418, Government Code.
1-12           (b)  A person who performs volunteer services for the state
1-13     in a declared disaster under the direction of an officer or
1-14     employee of the state or a political subdivision of the state is
1-15     entitled to benefits under this chapter for an injury sustained by
1-16     the person in the course of providing those services.  For purposes
1-17     of this subsection, an injury is not sustained in the course of
1-18     providing services in a disaster unless the injury occurs while the
1-19     state of disaster may reasonably be considered to be in existence.
1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-21     applies only to a claim for workers' compensation benefits based on
1-22     a compensable injury that occurs on or after that date.  A claim
1-23     based on a compensable injury that occurs before the effective date
1-24     of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the injury
 2-1     occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
 2-2     purpose.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.