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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. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 419.004, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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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 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 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 member who is a chief officer with a minimum |
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rank that is equivalent to the position immediately below that of |
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the fire chief, who is employed in a fire department as defined by |
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Section 419.021 that is under the jurisdiction of the commission |
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and that serves a population of 100,000 or more; |
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(5) one certified fire protection engineer; |
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[(5) one certified arson investigator or certified |
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fire 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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(a-1) One of the commission members must be a certified |
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arson investigator or certified fire protection inspector. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to the |
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qualifications of members of the Texas Commission on Fire |
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Protection do not affect the entitlement of a member serving on the |
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commission immediately before the effective date of this Act to |
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continue as a member of the commission for the remainder of the |
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member's term. The changes in law apply only to a member appointed |
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on or after the effective date of this Act. This Act does not |
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prohibit a person who is a member of the commission on the effective |
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date of this Act from being reappointed to the commission if the |
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person has the qualifications required for a member under Section |
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419.004, Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |