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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the licensure or certification of volunteer |
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firefighters and members of industrial emergency response teams. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 419, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 419.910 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 419.910. CERTAIN REGULATION PROHIBITED. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "State agency" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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2103.001. |
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(2) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a |
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volunteer fire department who is not: |
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(A) a full-time paid employee; or |
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(B) a part-time fire protection employee |
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described by Section 419.0321. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a state agency may |
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not: |
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(1) require a volunteer firefighter to obtain a |
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license or certification in order to be a volunteer firefighter; or |
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(2) require a member of an industrial emergency |
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response team to obtain a license or certification in order to be a |
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member of an industrial emergency response team. |
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(c) A state agency may require a volunteer firefighter or a |
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member of an industrial emergency response team to possess certain |
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credentials, as determined by the agency, to participate in |
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disaster response or deployments requested by: |
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(1) the Texas A&M Forest Service; |
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(2) the Department of Public Safety; or |
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(3) the Texas Division of Emergency Management. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |