| 1 | 1 | | 89R12463 AND-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Walle H.B. No. 3696 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the provision by railroad companies of hazardous |
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| 10 | 10 | | material incident training to certain fire and emergency medical |
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| 11 | 11 | | personnel and peace officers. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 193, Transportation Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | adding Section 193.003 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 193.003. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT TRAINING FOR FIRE |
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| 16 | 16 | | AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND PEACE OFFICERS. (a) At least |
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| 17 | 17 | | quarterly, a railroad company subject to Section 193.002 shall |
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| 18 | 18 | | offer training on the handling of incidents related to hazardous |
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| 19 | 19 | | materials of the type the company transports to: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) fire protection personnel, as defined by Section |
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| 21 | 21 | | 419.021, Government Code; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) volunteer firefighters certified by the Texas |
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| 23 | 23 | | Commission on Fire Protection or the State Firefighters' and Fire |
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| 24 | 24 | | Marshals' Association of Texas; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) emergency medical services personnel certified by |
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| 26 | 26 | | the Department of State Health Services who: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) are not affiliated with a hospital; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) serve geographic areas not served by: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (i) a municipal fire department under |
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| 30 | 30 | | Chapter 342, Local Government Code; or |
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| 31 | 31 | | (ii) a county fire department under Chapter |
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| 32 | 32 | | 352, Local Government Code; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) peace officers, as defined by Article 2A.001, Code |
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| 34 | 34 | | of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (b) Training under Subsection (a) must: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) be provided at the railroad company's expense; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) be substantially similar to training provided by a |
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| 38 | 38 | | company employee under Section 193.002(c)(5); and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) on request, accommodate virtual participation. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 41 | 41 | | of this Act, the Texas Transportation Commission shall adopt rules |
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| 42 | 42 | | as necessary to implement Section 193.003, Transportation Code, as |
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| 43 | 43 | | added by this Act. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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