By: Burrows, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.B. No. 2082
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2017;
May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Business &
Commerce; May 21, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 21, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the designation of a liaison to assist first responders
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. FIRST RESPONDER LIAISON. (a) In this
section, "first responder" has the meaning assigned by Section
504.055.
(b) The public counsel shall designate an employee of the
office to act as first responder liaison.
(c) The first responder liaison shall assist an injured
first responder and, if applicable, the ombudsman assigned to the
first responder's case, during a workers' compensation
administrative dispute resolution process.
(d) The first responder 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 employs first responders or
supervises volunteer first responders shall notify the first
responders of the first responder liaison in the manner prescribed
by the office. In this subsection, "first responder" has the
meaning assigned by Section 504.055.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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