H.B. No. 873




AN ACT

relating to the rural volunteer fire department insurance program.            
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 614.071(6), Government Code, as added by 
Chapter 1363, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, 
is amended to read as follows:
		(6)  "Volunteer fire department" means a fire 
department operated by its members, including a partially paid fire 
department, that:
			(A)  is operated on a not-for-profit basis, 
including a department exempt from federal income tax under Section 
501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, by being listed as an exempt 
organization in Section 501(c)(3) of that code;  and
			(B)  participates in a firefighter certification 
program administered:     
				(i)  under Section 419.071; [or]                           
				(ii)  by the State Firemen's and Fire 
Marshals' Association of Texas; or
				(iii)  by the National Wildfire Coordinating 
Group.                
	SECTION 2.  Section 614.073, Government Code,  as added by 
Chapter 1363, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, 
is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 614.073.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The director shall 
appoint an advisory committee to advise the director in regard to 
the administration of the program.
	(b)  The advisory committee consists of five members with [as 
follows:
		[(1)  two members of the Texas Rural Fire Advisory 
Council;
		[(2)  two elected county officials;  and                     
		[(3)  one elected representative of a municipality with 
a population of 10,000 or less.
	[(c)  The director shall appoint] one [advisory committee] 
member appointed from each of the following geographic regions of 
the state:  north, south, east, west, and central.
	(c)  A member of the advisory committee is entitled to 
reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses incurred by the member 
in performing duties as a member of the advisory committee, subject 
to any applicable limitation on reimbursement provided by general 
law or the General Appropriations Act.  A member may not receive 
compensation for services.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 873 was passed by the House on March 
28, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.B. No. 873 was passed by the Senate on May 
20, 2003, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Secretary of the Senate    



APPROVED:  _____________________                                            
 
                   Date                                                      




 
          _____________________                                          
 
                 Governor