By Bernsen S.B. No. 262 77R1778 ATP-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to critical incident counseling for municipal public 1-3 safety employees. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 142, Local Government Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Section 142.012 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 142.012. CRITICAL INCIDENT COUNSELING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY 1-8 EMPLOYEES. (a) In this section, "public safety employee" means an 1-9 employee of a municipality who is either: 1-10 (1) a peace officer under Article 2.12, Code of 1-11 Criminal Procedure; 1-12 (2) a firefighter; or 1-13 (3) an employee who provides emergency medical 1-14 services. 1-15 (b) A municipality shall provide educational and counseling 1-16 services to a public safety employee who: 1-17 (1) is exposed to or involved in an incident involving 1-18 the death of or serious injury to another individual; and 1-19 (2) requests the services. 1-20 (c) Educational and counseling services provided under 1-21 Subsection (b) must be: 1-22 (1) provided by personnel who are trained to provide 1-23 the services; and 1-24 (2) designed to mitigate the emotional impact of the 2-1 public safety employee's exposure to the incident and prepare the 2-2 employee to respond to future similar incidents. 2-3 SECTION 2. Section 142.012, Local Government Code, as added 2-4 by this Act, applies to all requests for educational and counseling 2-5 services made after the effective date of this Act, regardless of 2-6 the date on which the incident giving rise to the need for the 2-7 services occurred. 2-8 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-9 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-10 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-11 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-12 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.