Honorable Carol Alvarado, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1009 by Alonzo (Relating to the regulation of firefighters and fire departments by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code to prevent a municipal employee of a certain type of locality from performing duties classified as wildland fire-fighting unless the person is a permanent, full-time fire department employee who is regularly assigned to perform one or more of the following duties: fire suppression; fire inspection; fire and arson investigation; marine fire fighting; aircraft rescue and fire fighting; fire training; fire education; fire administration; and any other position necessarily or customarily related to fire prevention or suppression.
The bill would allow a municipal employee to perform a duty that may be classified as a wildland fire-fighting duty if the municipal employee is not acting as an employee of a municipality when performing the duty and is acting as a member of a volunteer fire department when performing the duty. The bill would allow an individual certified as fire protection personnel by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to perform certain wildland firefighting duties under the supervision of a fire department in the area in which the fire department is authorized to act.
The bill would also require the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to adopt and implement rules relating to implementing the provisions of the bill by no later than January 1, 2018.
The bill would take effect immediately upon a two-thirds vote of all members in both chambers; otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
According to the Texas Municipal League, the fiscal impact to municipalities to implement the provisions of the bill is not anticipated to be significant.