Bill would make ‘peace officers’ injured in work commute eligible for comp
Reprints
Texas law enforcement officers who become injured while traveling to or from work would be eligible to collect workers compensation benefits under legislation filed on Tuesday.
House Bill 3335 would add “peace officers” to the list of other emergency responders permitted to file for comp benefits if they are injured during their work commute.
Under current law, first responders covered under this travel provision in the workers compensation law are firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.
The law says the responders are considered to be acting in the course and scope of their employment when traveling to work for the purposes of workers comp.
Texas statute defines “peace officers” to include sheriffs’ deputies, constables, marshals, police officers, rangers, prosecutorial investigators and a host of other law enforcement personnel.
Texas remains the only state in the nation that does not require private employers to carry workers comp insurance. However, the exception to the exclusion is any public employee, such as those working for cities, counties, state agencies and state universities.
