Tex. Lab. Code § 504.055 · Subchapter C. BENEFITS AND OFFSETS
EXPEDITED PROVISION OF MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN INJURIES SUSTAINED BY FIRST RESPONDER IN COURSE AND SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In this section, "first responder" means:
(1) an individual employed by a political subdivision of this state who is:
(A) a peace officer under Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(B) a person licensed under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, as an emergency care attendant, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician-intermediate, emergency medical technician-paramedic, or licensed paramedic; or
(C) a firefighter subject to certification by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection under Chapter 419, Government Code, whose principal duties are firefighting and aircraft crash and rescue; or
(2) an individual covered under Section 504.012(a) who is providing volunteer services to a political subdivision of this state as:
(A) a volunteer firefighter, without regard to whether the volunteer firefighter is certified under Subchapter D, Chapter 419, Government Code; or
(B) an emergency medical services volunteer, as defined by Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code.
(b) This section applies only to a first responder who sustains a serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, in the course and scope of employment. For purposes of this section, an injury sustained in the course and scope of employment includes an injury sustained by a first responder providing services on a volunteer basis.
(c) The political subdivision, division, and insurance carrier shall accelerate and give priority to an injured first responder's claim for medical benefits, including all health care required to cure or relieve the effects naturally resulting from a compensable injury described by Subsection (b).
(d) The division shall accelerate, under rules adopted by the commissioner of workers' compensation, a contested case hearing requested by or an appeal submitted by a first responder regarding the denial of a claim for medical benefits, including all health care required to cure or relieve the effects naturally resulting from a compensable injury described by Subsection (b). The first responder shall provide notice to the division and independent review organization that the contested case or appeal involves a first responder.
(e) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a first responder is entitled to review of a medical dispute in the manner provided by Section 504.054.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1162 (H.B. 2605), Sec. 36, eff. September 1, 2011.
Amended by:
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 2.132, eff. January 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LA/htm/LA.504.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 d821e1f2bb1d1839a8c7c9c3551964b93cb3aa3682ca4ed558558228c8c511be
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Criminal Procedure
Government Code
Health and Safety Code
Labor Code
Cited by 5 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Lab. Code § 504.055. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Labor Code
- Tex. Lab. Code § 404.1525FIRST RESPONDER LIAISON.Printed as Section 504.055
- Tex. Lab. Code § 404.153EMPLOYER NOTIFICATION; ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATION.Printed as Section 504.055
- Tex. Lab. Code § 408.183DURATION OF DEATH BENEFITS.Printed as Section 504.055
- Tex. Lab. Code § 415.021ASSESSMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES.Printed as Section 504.055 or 504.057
- Tex. Lab. Code § 504.056INTENT OF EXPEDITED PROVISION OF MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN INJURIES SUSTAINED BY FIRST RESPONDER IN COURSE AND SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT.Printed as Section 504.055
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.