| 2 | 4 | | |
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| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 8 | | relating to the designation of animal control officers as first |
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| 7 | 9 | | responders. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 421.095, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | Sec. 421.095. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter |
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| 12 | 14 | | (1) "First responder" means a public safety employee |
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| 13 | 15 | | or volunteer whose duties include responding rapidly to an |
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| 14 | 16 | | emergency. The term includes: |
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| 15 | 17 | | (A) a peace officer whose duties include |
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| 16 | 18 | | responding rapidly to an emergency; |
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| 17 | 19 | | (B) fire protection personnel under section |
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| 18 | 20 | | 419.021; |
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| 19 | 21 | | (C) a volunteer firefighter who is: |
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| 20 | 22 | | (i) certified by the Texas Commission on |
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| 21 | 23 | | Fire Protection or by the state Firemen's and Fire Marshals' |
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| 22 | 24 | | Association of Texas; or |
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| 23 | 25 | | (ii) a member of an organized volunteer |
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| 24 | 26 | | fire-fighting unit as described by section 615.003; |
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| 25 | 27 | | (D) an individual certified as emergency medical |
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| 26 | 28 | | services personnel by the Department of State Health Services; |
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| 27 | 29 | | (E) an emergency response operator or emergency |
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| 28 | 30 | | services dispatcher who provides communication support services |
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| 29 | 31 | | for an agency by responding to requests for assistance in |
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| 30 | 32 | | emergencies; |
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| 31 | 33 | | (F) an animal control officer whose duties |
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| 32 | 34 | | include responding rapidly to an emergency; and |
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| 33 | 35 | | (G) other emergency response personnel employed |
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| 34 | 36 | | by an agency. |
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| 35 | 37 | | SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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