| 1 | 1 | | 85R8911 JSC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Burrows H.B. No. 1688 |
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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 the designation of a liaison to assist law enforcement |
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| 8 | 8 | | personnel with workers' compensation claims. |
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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. Subchapter D, Chapter 404, Labor Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 404.1525 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 404.1525. LAW ENFORCEMENT LIAISON. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "law enforcement officer" means a person who is a sworn |
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| 14 | 14 | | peace officer under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The public counsel shall designate an employee of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | office to act as law enforcement liaison. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (c) The law enforcement liaison shall assist an injured law |
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| 18 | 18 | | enforcement officer and, if applicable, the ombudsman assigned to |
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| 19 | 19 | | the law enforcement officer's case, during a workers' compensation |
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| 20 | 20 | | administrative dispute resolution process. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (d) The law enforcement liaison: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) must meet the qualifications for designation as an |
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| 23 | 23 | | ombudsman under this subchapter; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) is subject to the training and education |
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| 25 | 25 | | requirements for an ombudsman under this subchapter. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 404.153, Labor Code, is amended by |
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| 27 | 27 | | adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (a-1) An employer that commissions law enforcement officers |
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| 29 | 29 | | shall notify the officers of the law enforcement liaison in the |
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| 30 | 30 | | manner prescribed by the office. In this subsection, "law |
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| 31 | 31 | | enforcement officer" means a person who is a sworn peace officer |
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| 32 | 32 | | under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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