By: Bonnen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Middleton) H.B. No. 5424

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2025; May 12, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government; May 16, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 1; May 16, 2025, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to volunteer firefighter compensation limits.

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

SECTION 1. Section 419.0322(c), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) A fire department may not, in a calendar year, compensate, reimburse, or provide benefits to an individual designated as a volunteer or auxiliary firefighter that exceeds 20 percent of the highest total compensation paid to full-time fire protection personnel by a local government:

(1) in the county in which the department is located; or

(2) if the county does not have a local government that pays compensation to full-time fire protection personnel, in an adjacent county to the county in which the department is located [to a person the department has designated as a volunteer or other auxiliary fire fighter to the extent that the person would be considered fully paid fire protection personnel].

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2026.

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