85R8911 JSC-D
By: Burrows H.B. No. 1688
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the designation of a liaison to assist law enforcement
personnel with workers' compensation claims.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 404, Labor Code, is
amended by adding Section 404.1525 to read as follows:
Sec. 404.1525. LAW ENFORCEMENT LIAISON. (a) In this
section, "law enforcement officer" means a person who is a sworn
peace officer under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(b) The public counsel shall designate an employee of the
office to act as law enforcement liaison.
(c) The law enforcement liaison shall assist an injured law
enforcement officer and, if applicable, the ombudsman assigned to
the law enforcement officer's case, during a workers' compensation
administrative dispute resolution process.
(d) The law enforcement liaison:
(1) must meet the qualifications for designation as an
ombudsman under this subchapter; and
(2) is subject to the training and education
requirements for an ombudsman under this subchapter.
SECTION 2. Section 404.153, Labor Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) An employer that commissions law enforcement officers
shall notify the officers of the law enforcement liaison in the
manner prescribed by the office. In this subsection, "law
enforcement officer" means a person who is a sworn peace officer
under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.