| 1 | 1 | | 83R2580 VOO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cortez, Lavender, Collier H.B. No. 1591 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to designation of certain vehicles of the Texas Division |
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| 8 | 8 | | of Emergency Management as authorized emergency vehicles. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 541.201(1), Transportation Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (A) a fire department or police vehicle; |
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| 14 | 14 | | (B) a public or private ambulance operated by a |
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| 15 | 15 | | person who has been issued a license by the [Texas] Department of |
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| 16 | 16 | | State Health Services; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (C) a municipal department or public service |
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| 18 | 18 | | corporation emergency vehicle that has been designated or |
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| 19 | 19 | | authorized by the governing body of a municipality; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (D) a vehicle that has been designated by the |
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| 21 | 21 | | department under Section 546.0065; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (E) a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter |
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| 23 | 23 | | or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer |
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| 24 | 24 | | when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (F) [(E)] an industrial emergency response |
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| 26 | 26 | | vehicle, including an industrial ambulance, when responding to an |
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| 27 | 27 | | emergency, but only if the vehicle is operated in compliance with |
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| 28 | 28 | | criteria in effect September 1, 1989, and established by the |
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| 29 | 29 | | predecessor of the Texas Industrial Emergency Services Board of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (G) [(F)] a vehicle of a blood bank or tissue |
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| 32 | 32 | | bank, accredited or approved under the laws of this state or the |
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| 33 | 33 | | United States, when making emergency deliveries of blood, drugs, |
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| 34 | 34 | | medicines, or organs; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (H) [(G)] a vehicle used for law enforcement |
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| 36 | 36 | | purposes that is owned or leased by a federal governmental entity. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 546, Transportation Code, |
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| 38 | 38 | | is amended by adding Section 546.0065 to read as follows: |
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| 39 | 39 | | Sec. 546.0065. AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES OF THE TEXAS |
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| 40 | 40 | | DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. The department shall designate |
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| 41 | 41 | | vehicles of the Texas Division of Emergency Management that may be |
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| 42 | 42 | | operated as authorized emergency vehicles. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 44 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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