By: Estes S.B. No. 289

(In the Senate - Filed January 8, 2015; January 28, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs; March 18, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; March 18, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the licensure or certification of volunteer firefighters and members of industrial emergency response teams.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 419, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 419.910 to read as follows:

Sec. 419.910. CERTAIN REGULATION PROHIBITED. (a) In this section:

(1) "State agency" has the meaning assigned by Section 2103.001.

(2) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a volunteer fire department who is not a full-time paid employee.

(b) A state agency may not:

(1) require a volunteer firefighter to obtain a license or certification in order to be a volunteer firefighter; or

(2) require a member of an industrial emergency response team to obtain a license or certification in order to be a member of an industrial emergency response team.

SECTION 2. 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, 2015.

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