82R10528 CJC-F
By: Gallegos S.B. No. 1673
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the composition of the Texas Commission on Fire
Protection and the disposition of certain fees collected by the
commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 419.004(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The commission is composed of the following 13 members:
(1) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association who are chief
officers with a minimum rank that is equivalent to the position
immediately below that of the fire chief and who are employed in
fire departments as defined by Section 419.021 that are under the
jurisdiction of the commission, at least one of whom must be the
head of a fire department and one of whom must be employed by a
political subdivision with a population of less than 150,000
[100,000];
(2) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters who
are fire protection personnel as defined by Section 419.021 with
the rank of battalion chief or below and who are employed in fire
departments or other appropriate local authorities under the
jurisdiction of the commission, one of whom must be employed by a
political subdivision with a population of less than 150,000
[100,000];
(3) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals'
Association of Texas who are volunteer fire chiefs or volunteer
fire fighters;
(4) one certified fire protection engineer;
(5) one certified arson investigator or certified fire
protection inspector;
(6) one fire protection instructor from an institution
of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code;
and
(7) four public members.
SECTION 2. Section 419.026(d), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) The commission shall send the fees authorized by
Subsection (a) and Section 419.033(b) to the comptroller, who shall
deposit [50 percent of] the fees collected annually into [the
general revenue fund and 50 percent of the fees collected annually
into] a special account in the general revenue fund dedicated for
use by the commission. Except as otherwise provided by this
chapter, 50 percent of the special fund created under this
subsection may be used only to defray the commission's costs in
performing inspections under Section 419.027 and the other 50
percent may be used only to provide training assistance under
Section 419.031.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.