85R3980 TSR-D
By: Springer H.B. No. 1958
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the licensure or certification of volunteer
firefighters and members of industrial emergency response teams.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 419, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 419.910 to read as follows:
Sec. 419.910. CERTAIN REGULATION PROHIBITED. (a) In this
section:
(1) "State agency" has the meaning assigned by Section
2103.001.
(2) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a
volunteer fire department who is not:
(A) a full-time paid employee; or
(B) a part-time fire protection employee
described by Section 419.0321.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a state agency may
not:
(1) require a volunteer firefighter to obtain a
license or certification in order to be a volunteer firefighter; or
(2) require a member of an industrial emergency
response team to obtain a license or certification in order to be a
member of an industrial emergency response team.
(c) A state agency may require a volunteer firefighter or a
member of an industrial emergency response team to possess certain
credentials, as determined by the agency, to participate in
disaster response or deployments requested by:
(1) the Texas A&M Forest Service;
(2) the Department of Public Safety; or
(3) the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
SECTION 2. 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, 2017.