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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the composition of the Texas Commission on Fire |
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Protection and the disposition of certain fees collected by the |
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commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 419.004(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The commission is composed of the following 13 members: |
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(1) two members to be selected from a list of five |
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names submitted by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association who are chief |
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officers with a minimum rank that is equivalent to the position |
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immediately below that of the fire chief and who are employed in |
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fire departments as defined by Section 419.021 that are under the |
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jurisdiction of the commission, at least one of whom must be the |
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head of a fire department and one of whom must be employed by a |
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political subdivision with a population of less than 150,000 |
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[100,000]; |
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(2) two members to be selected from a list of five |
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names submitted by the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters who |
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are fire protection personnel as defined by Section 419.021 with |
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the rank of battalion chief or below and who are employed in fire |
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departments or other appropriate local authorities under the |
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jurisdiction of the commission, one of whom must be employed by a |
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political subdivision with a population of less than 150,000 |
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[100,000]; |
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(3) two members to be selected from a list of five |
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names submitted by the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' |
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Association of Texas who are volunteer fire chiefs or volunteer |
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fire fighters; |
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(4) one certified fire protection engineer; |
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(5) one certified arson investigator or certified fire |
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protection inspector; |
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(6) one fire protection instructor from an institution |
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of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; |
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and |
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(7) four public members. |
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SECTION 2. Section 419.026(d), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(d) The commission shall send the fees authorized by |
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Subsection (a) and Section 419.033(b) to the comptroller, who shall |
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deposit [50 percent of] the fees collected annually into [the
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general revenue fund and 50 percent of the fees collected annually
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into] a special account in the general revenue fund dedicated for |
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use by the commission. Except as otherwise provided by this |
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chapter, 50 percent of the special fund created under this |
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subsection may be used only to defray the commission's costs in |
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performing inspections under Section 419.027 and the other 50 |
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percent may be used only to provide training assistance under |
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Section 419.031. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |