2021S0043-1 01/29/21
By: Paxton S.B. No. 897
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the composition of the Texas Commission on Fire
Protection.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 419.004, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) The commission is composed of the following 13 members:
(1) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association who are chief
officers with a minimum rank that is equivalent to the position
immediately below that of the fire chief and who are employed in
fire departments as defined by Section 419.021 that are under the
jurisdiction of the commission, at least one of whom must be the
head of a fire department and one of whom must be employed by a
political subdivision with a population of less than 100,000;
(2) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters who
are fire protection personnel as defined by Section 419.021 with
the rank of battalion chief or below and who are employed in fire
departments or other appropriate local authorities under the
jurisdiction of the commission, one of whom must be employed by a
political subdivision with a population of less than 100,000;
(3) two members to be selected from a list of five
names submitted by the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals'
Association of Texas who are volunteer fire chiefs or volunteer
fire fighters;
(4) one member who is a chief officer with a minimum
rank that is equivalent to the position immediately below that of
the fire chief, who is employed in a fire department as defined by
Section 419.021 that is under the jurisdiction of the commission
and that serves a population of 250,000 or more, and who is not a
member of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association;
(5) one certified fire protection engineer;
[(5) one certified arson investigator or certified
fire protection inspector;]
(6) one fire protection instructor from an institution
of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code;
and
(7) four public members.
(a-1) One of the commission members must be a certified
arson investigator or certified fire protection inspector.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to the
qualifications of members of the Texas Commission on Fire
Protection do not affect the entitlement of a member serving on the
commission immediately before the effective date of this Act to
continue as a member of the commission for the remainder of the
member's term. The changes in law apply only to a member appointed
on or after the effective date of this Act. This Act does not
prohibit a person who is a member of the commission on the effective
date of this Act from being reappointed to the commission if the
person has the qualifications required for a member under Section
419.004, Government Code, as amended by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.