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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certain insurance-related matters involving rural |
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volunteer firefighters, volunteer police force members, or |
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emergency services districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 614.072(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The director may adopt rules necessary to assist rural |
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volunteer fire departments in the payment of: |
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(1) workers' compensation insurance; |
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(2) audit costs for workers' compensation claims in |
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any year in which there is an abnormally high number of wildfires; |
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and |
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(3) accidental death and disability insurance. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 614, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter H to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER H. INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIRED FOR |
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VOLUNTEER POLICE FORCE MEMBERS |
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Sec. 614.121. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "volunteer |
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police force member" means: |
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(1) a person summoned under Section 341.011, Local |
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Government Code, to serve on a special police force; |
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(2) a police reserve force member appointed under |
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Section 341.012, Local Government Code; and |
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(3) any other person assigned by a state agency or |
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political subdivision to perform, without compensation, any duties |
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typically performed by a peace officer. |
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Sec. 614.122. INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIRED. Each volunteer |
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police force member must be insured by the applicable state agency |
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or political subdivision against any injury suffered by the police |
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force member in the course and scope of performing the person's |
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assigned duties at the request of or under a contract with a state |
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agency or political subdivision. |
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SECTION 3. Section 775.084(i), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(i) This section does not apply to: |
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(1) the purchase or lease of real property; |
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(2) an item or service that the board determines can be |
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obtained from only one source; |
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(3) a contract for fire extinguishment and suppression |
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services, emergency rescue services, or ambulance services; |
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(4) an emergency expenditure; |
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(5) the purchase of vehicle fuel; [or] |
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(6) the purchase of firefighter bunker gear; |
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(7) the purchase of insurance coverage; or |
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(8) repairs funded by a payment made under an |
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insurance claim. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Chapter 614, Government Code, as |
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added by this Act, applies only to a volunteer police force member |
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performing assigned duties on or after January 1, 2008. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |