88R1918 SGM-D
 
  By: Huffman S.B. No. 155
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to benefits for certain members of the Texas military
  forces and survivors of members of the Texas military forces.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 615.003, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 615.003.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
  eligible survivors of the following individuals:
               (1)  an individual:
                     (A)  elected, appointed, or employed as a peace
  officer by the state or a political subdivision of the state under
  Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law; or
                     (B)  employed as a peace officer by a private
  institution of higher education, including a private junior
  college, that is located in this state under Section 51.212,
  Education Code;
               (2)  a paid probation officer appointed by the director
  of a community supervision and corrections department who has the
  duties set out in Section 76.002 and the qualifications set out in
  Section 76.005, or who was appointed in accordance with prior law;
               (3)  a parole officer employed by the Texas Department
  of Criminal Justice who has the duties set out in Section 508.001
  and the qualifications set out in Section 508.113 or in prior law;
               (4)  a paid jailer;
               (5)  a member of an organized police reserve or
  auxiliary unit who regularly assists peace officers in enforcing
  criminal laws;
               (6)  a member of the class of employees of the
  correctional institutions division formally designated as
  custodial personnel under Section 615.006 by the Texas Board of
  Criminal Justice or its predecessor in function;
               (7)  a jailer or guard of a county jail who is appointed
  by the sheriff and who:
                     (A)  performs a security, custodial, or
  supervisory function over the admittance, confinement, or
  discharge of prisoners; and
                     (B)  is certified by the Texas Commission on Law
  Enforcement;
               (8)  a juvenile correctional employee of the Texas
  Juvenile Justice Department;
               (9)  an employee of the Health and Human Services
  Commission [Department of Aging and Disability Services or
  Department of State Health Services] who:
                     (A)  works at the commission's [department's]
  maximum security unit; or
                     (B)  performs on-site services for the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice;
               (10)  an individual who is employed by the state or a
  political or legal subdivision and is subject to certification by
  the Texas Commission on Fire Protection;
               (11)  an individual employed by the state or a
  political or legal subdivision whose principal duties are aircraft
  crash and rescue fire fighting;
               (12)  a member of an organized volunteer fire-fighting
  unit that:
                     (A)  renders fire-fighting services without
  remuneration; and
                     (B)  conducts a minimum of two drills each month,
  each two hours long;
               (13)  an individual who:
                     (A)  performs emergency medical services or
  operates an ambulance;
                     (B)  is employed by a political subdivision of the
  state or is an emergency medical services volunteer as defined by
  Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code; and
                     (C)  is qualified as an emergency care attendant
  or at a higher level of training under Section 773.046, 773.047,
  773.048, 773.049, or 773.0495, Health and Safety Code;
               (14)  an individual who is employed or formally
  designated as a chaplain for:
                     (A)  an organized volunteer fire-fighting unit or
  other fire department of this state or of a political subdivision of
  this state;
                     (B)  a law enforcement agency of this state or of a
  political subdivision of this state; or
                     (C)  the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
               (15)  an individual who is employed by the state or a
  political subdivision of the state and who is considered by the
  governmental employer to be a trainee for a position otherwise
  described by this section;
               (16)  an individual who is employed by the Department
  of Public Safety and, as certified by the director, is:
                     (A)  deployed into the field in direct support of
  a law enforcement operation, including patrol, investigative,
  search and rescue, crime scene, on-site communications, or special
  operations; and
                     (B)  given a special assignment in direct support
  of operations relating to organized crime, criminal interdiction,
  border security, counterterrorism, intelligence, traffic
  enforcement, emergency management, regulatory services, or special
  investigations; [or]
               (17)  an individual who is employed by the Parks and
  Wildlife Department and, as certified by the executive director of
  the Parks and Wildlife Department, is:
                     (A)  deployed into the field in direct support of
  a law enforcement operation, including patrol, investigative,
  search and rescue, crime scene, on-site communications, or special
  operations; and
                     (B)  given a special assignment in direct support
  of operations relating to organized crime, criminal interdiction,
  border security, counterterrorism, intelligence, traffic
  enforcement, emergency management, regulatory services, or special
  investigations; or
               (18)  a member of the Texas military forces who is on
  state active duty, as those terms are defined by Section 437.001.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 401, Labor Code, is
  amended by adding Section 401.027 to read as follows:
         Sec. 401.027.  APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN MEMBERS OF TEXAS
  MILITARY FORCES.  (a)  In this section, "Texas military forces" has
  the meaning assigned by Section 437.001, Government Code.
         (b)  For purposes of this subtitle, the travel of a member of
  the Texas military forces to or from the member's duty location is
  considered to be in the course and scope of the member's employment.
         SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 504.019, Labor Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 504.019.  COVERAGE FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
  FOR CERTAIN FIRST RESPONDERS AND MEMBERS OF TEXAS MILITARY FORCES.
         SECTION 4.  Section 504.019(a), Labor Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
               (3)  "State active duty" and "Texas military forces"
  have the meanings assigned by Section 437.001, Government Code.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 504.019(b) and (c), Labor Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a first
  responder or by a member of the Texas military forces on state
  active duty is a compensable injury under this subtitle only if it
  is based on a diagnosis that:
               (1)  the disorder is caused by one or more events
  occurring in the course and scope of the first responder's
  employment or the member's active duty; and
               (2)  the preponderance of the evidence indicates that
  the event or events were a producing cause of the disorder.
         (c)  For purposes of this subtitle, the date of injury for
  post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a first responder or
  member of the Texas military forces is the date on which the first
  responder or member first knew or should have known that the
  disorder may be related to the first responder's employment as a
  first responder or the member's active duty.
         SECTION 6.  Section 504.055, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 504.055.  EXPEDITED PROVISION OF MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR
  CERTAIN INJURIES SUSTAINED BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND CERTAIN MEMBERS
  OF TEXAS MILITARY FORCES [RESPONDER] IN COURSE AND SCOPE OF
  EMPLOYMENT.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "First [, "first] responder" means:
                     (A) [(1)]  an individual employed by a political
  subdivision of this state who is:
                           (i) [(A)]  a peace officer under Article
  2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure;
                           (ii) [(B)]  a person licensed under Chapter
  773, Health and Safety Code, as an emergency care attendant,
  emergency medical technician, emergency medical
  technician-intermediate, emergency medical technician-paramedic,
  or licensed paramedic; or
                           (iii) [(C)]  a firefighter subject to
  certification by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection under
  Chapter 419, Government Code, whose principal duties are
  firefighting and aircraft crash and rescue; or
                     (B) [(2)]  an individual covered under Section
  504.012(a) who is providing volunteer services to a political
  subdivision of this state as:
                           (i) [(A)]  a volunteer firefighter, without
  regard to whether the volunteer firefighter is certified under
  Subchapter D, Chapter 419, Government Code; or
                           (ii) [(B)]  an emergency medical services
  volunteer, as defined by Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code.
               (2)  "State active duty" and "Texas military forces"
  have the meanings assigned by Section 437.001, Government Code.
         (b)  This section applies only to a first responder, or a
  member of the Texas military forces on state active duty, who
  sustains a serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal
  Code, in the course and scope of employment.  For purposes of this
  section, an injury sustained by a first responder in the course and
  scope of employment includes an injury sustained by the [a] first
  responder providing services on a volunteer basis.
         (c)  The political subdivision, division, and insurance
  carrier shall accelerate and give priority to a [an injured first
  responder's] claim for medical benefits by a first responder or by a
  member of the Texas military forces to which this section applies,
  including all health care required to cure or relieve the effects
  naturally resulting from a compensable injury described by
  Subsection (b).
         (d)  The division shall accelerate, under rules adopted by
  the commissioner of workers' compensation, a contested case hearing
  requested by or an appeal submitted by a first responder or by a
  member of the Texas military forces to which this section applies
  regarding the denial of a claim for medical benefits, including all
  health care required to cure or relieve the effects naturally
  resulting from a compensable injury described by Subsection (b).  
  The first responder or member shall provide notice to the division
  and independent review organization that the contested case or
  appeal involves a first responder or member of the Texas military
  forces, as applicable.
         (e)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, a first
  responder or a member of the Texas military forces to which this
  section applies is entitled to review of a medical dispute in the
  manner provided by Section 504.054.
         SECTION 7.  Section 504.056, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 504.056.  INTENT OF EXPEDITED PROVISION OF MEDICAL
  BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN INJURIES SUSTAINED BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND
  CERTAIN MEMBERS OF TEXAS MILITARY FORCES [RESPONDER] IN COURSE AND
  SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT.  The purpose of Section 504.055 is to ensure
  that a [an injured first responder's] claim for medical benefits by
  an injured first responder or by an injured member of the Texas
  military forces to which that section applies is accelerated by a
  political subdivision, insurance carrier, and the division to the
  full extent authorized by current law.
         SECTION 8.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act relating
  to a claim for workers' compensation benefits by a member of the
  Texas military forces apply only to a claim for workers'
  compensation benefits based on a compensable injury that occurs on
  or after the effective date of this Act.  A claim based on a
  compensable injury that occurs before that date is governed by the
  law in effect on the date that the compensable injury occurred, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act to Section 615.003,
  Government Code, relating to the death of a member of the Texas
  military forces applies only to a death that occurs on or after the
  effective date of this Act. The death of a member of the Texas
  military forces that occurs before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the death occurred, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.