| 1 | 1 | | By: Deuell S.B. No. 2419 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to preventive treatment for state employees exposed to |
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| 7 | 7 | | certain contagious diseases while performing duties of employment. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 607.001, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 607.001. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Public[, "public] safety employee" means a peace |
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| 13 | 13 | | officer, fire fighter, detention officer, county jailer, or |
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| 14 | 14 | | emergency medical services employee of this state or a political |
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| 15 | 15 | | subdivision of this state. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "State employee" means an employee of this state. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 607.002, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 18 | 18 | | read as follows: |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 607.002. REIMBURSEMENT. A public safety employee or a |
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| 20 | 20 | | state employee who is exposed to a contagious disease is entitled to |
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| 21 | 21 | | reimbursement from the employing governmental entity for |
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| 22 | 22 | | reasonable medical expenses incurred in treatment for the |
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| 23 | 23 | | prevention of the disease if: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) the disease is not an "ordinary disease of life" as |
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| 25 | 25 | | that term is used in the context of a workers' compensation claim; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) the exposure to the disease occurs during the |
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| 27 | 27 | | course of the employment; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) the employee requires preventative medical |
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| 29 | 29 | | treatment because of exposure to the disease. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. Section 607.003, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 31 | 31 | | read as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | Sec. 607.003. PHYSICIAN OF CHOICE. A public safety |
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| 33 | 33 | | employee or a state employee who is exposed to a disease described |
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| 34 | 34 | | by Section 607.002 is entitled to be treated for the prevention of |
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| 35 | 35 | | that disease by the physician of the employee's choice. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 37 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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