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By: Goolsby (Senate Sponsor - Deuell) H.B. No. 654
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 13, 2005;
April 14, 2005, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 6, 2005, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 6, 2005, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to professional liability insurance for volunteer health
care providers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 5.15-1, Insurance Code, is amended by
adding Section 12 to read as follows:
Sec. 12. COVERAGE FOR VOLUNTEER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
(a) In this section:
(1) "Charitable organization" has the meaning
assigned by Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(2) "Volunteer health care provider" has the meaning
assigned by Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(b) An insurer may make available professional liability
insurance covering a volunteer health care provider for an act or
omission resulting in death, damage, or injury to a patient while
the person is acting in the course and scope of the person's duties
as a volunteer health care provider as described by Chapter 84,
Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(c) This section does not affect the liability of a
volunteer health care provider who is serving as a direct service
volunteer of a charitable organization. Section 84.004(c), Civil
Practice and Remedies Code, applies to the volunteer health care
provider without regard to whether the volunteer health care
provider obtains liability insurance under this section.
(d) An insurer may make professional liability insurance
available under this section to a volunteer health care provider
without regard to whether the volunteer health care provider is a
"health care provider" as defined by Section 2 of this article.
SECTION 2. Article 21.49-4(a), Insurance Code, is amended
by adding Subdivisions (4) and (5) to read as follows:
(4) "Charitable organization" has the meaning
assigned by Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(5) "Volunteer health care provider" has the meaning
assigned by Section 84.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
SECTION 3. Article 21.49-4, Insurance Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
(c-1) The trust, in accordance with Subsection (c) of this
article, may make available professional liability insurance
covering a volunteer health care provider for an act or omission
resulting in death, damage, or injury to a patient while the person
is acting in the course and scope of the person's duties as a
volunteer health care provider as described by Chapter 84, Civil
Practice and Remedies Code. This subsection does not affect the
liability of a volunteer health care provider who is serving as a
direct service volunteer of a charitable organization. Section
84.004(c), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, applies to the
volunteer health care provider without regard to whether the
volunteer health care provider obtains liability insurance under
this subsection. The trust may make professional liability
insurance available under this subsection to a volunteer health
care provider without regard to whether the volunteer health care
provider is a physician or dentist.
SECTION 4. This Act applies only to a professional
liability insurance policy that is delivered, issued for delivery,
or renewed on or after the 181st day after the effective date of
this Act. A policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed
before the 181st day after the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective
date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
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