Texas § 180.002 DEFENSE OF CIVIL SUITS AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL.

Texas Statutes

§ 180.002 — DEFENSE OF CIVIL SUITS AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL.

Texas § 180.002

Code LGLocal Government Code

This text of Texas § 180.002 (DEFENSE OF CIVIL SUITS AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Tex. Local Government Code Code Ann. § 180.002 (2026).

Text

Sec. 180.002. DEFENSE OF CIVIL SUITS AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL.

(a)In this section, "peace officer" has the meaning assigned by Article 2A.001 , Code of Criminal Procedure.

(b)A municipality or a school district or other special purpose district shall provide a municipal or district employee who is a peace officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services employee with legal counsel without cost to the employee to defend the employee against a suit for damages by a party other than a governmental entity if:

(1)legal counsel is requested by the employee; and

(2)the suit involves an official act of the employee within the scope of the employee's authority.

(c)To defend the employee against the suit, the municipality or district may provide

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Sec. 180.002. DEFENSE OF CIVIL SUITS AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL. (a) In this section, "peace officer" has the meaning assigned by Article 2A.001 , Code of Criminal Procedure.
(b) A municipality or a school district or other special purpose district shall provide a municipal or district employee who is a peace officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services employee with legal counsel without cost to the employee to defend the employee against a suit for damages by a party other than a governmental entity if:
(1) legal counsel is requested by the employee; and
(2) the suit involves an official act of the employee within the scope of the employee's authority.
(c) To defend the employee against the suit, the municipality or district may provide counsel already employed by it or may employ private counsel.
(d) An employee may recover from a municipality or district that fails to provide counsel as required by Subsection (b) the reasonable attorney's fees incurred in defending the suit if the trier of fact finds:
(1) that the fees were incurred in defending a suit covered by Subsection (b); and
(2) that the employee is without fault or that the employee acted with a reasonable good faith belief that the employee's actions were proper.

Legislative History

Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1, Sec. 42(a), eff. Aug. 28, 1989. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 56 (H.B. 1016 ), Sec. 1, eff. May 18, 2013. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504 ), Sec. 2.140, eff. January 1, 2025.