News and Information 

Summary of Proposed Opioid Settlements

Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced that Texas joined the $21 billion distributor opioid settlement. Texas, along with a broad coalition of states and subdivisions, reached final agreements with four companies to resolve legal claims for their role in the opioid crisis. Local governments need to join the settlement by January 2, 2022, in order to maximize the benefits of the settlement. Funding received under the settlement will be used to support opioid abatement strategies.

Open Meetings Act Reminder: In March 2020, as Texans worked to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Governor Abbott’s office granted the attorney general’s request to suspend certain open-meeting statutes in an effort to reduce in-person meetings that assemble large groups of people. These suspensions will lift at 12:01 a.m. on September 1, 2021, and all provisions of the Open Meetings Act will be, once again, effective. Therefore, all Texas governmental bodies subject to the Open Meetings Act must conduct their meetings in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act as written in state law.

New Member Portal (MP) Auto ID Card Function

Effective the evening of 8/26, Fund Contacts and Functional Users have the option to download auto ID cards into a PDF directly from the coverages page of the MP. Below is a screenshot of the link placement on the coverages page.

Stronger, Together Podcast Series - Episode 8:  A young firefighter and that knock on the door…

For the family of any first responder, the ultimate fear is that knock on the door that might come one day.  For the wife and parents of 31-year-old Roger Dean of Seguin, it wasn’t because of a catastrophic firefighting hazard.  It was the virus.

In a powerful and moving podcast interview, Roger Dean’s widow and parents talk about his Covid-19 diagnosis on Christmas day 2020, before he could get vaccinated, and the four-month hospitalization that ended with his death on April 23^rd this year.

“If you are unvaccinated or have an unvaccinated person in your family, you need to hear this family’s story,” said the host of the TML Risk Pool’s Stronger, Together Podcast, Scott Houston.

Read our latest posts on the TMLIRP blog:

• Fall Colors: Plan Your Texas Road Trip to See the Seasonal Changes
• Mineral Wells Hopes to Spring Back with Historic Baker Hotel Restoration

Partnership Rates Announcement

Rate changes have been approved by the Pool's Board of Trustees for the upcoming 2021-2022 fiscal year. Click here to find out more about rate changes for the different coverages the Pool provides. Any questions regarding the rerate should be directed to your Member Services Manager.

If you were not able to attend a Partnership Summit Regional meeting, much of the information covered is available in this 40 minute video. For your convenience you can also watch each segment individually here.

Member Spotlight

Pharr Police Department Mental Health Unit 

Pharr Police Department & Tropical Texas Behavioral Health have teamed up to form a new Mental Health Unit to serve the residents of Pharr, Texas. This training aims to further inform and educate the officers in the areas of mental health to include advanced crisis intervention. Mental Health Officers will assist in evaluating and assessing persons (both

 juvenile and adults) with mental illness who are in a mental crisis. Read More 

Service In Focus

TMLIRP and SynergyNDS are standing by to support Members before, during and after severe storm events. Listen to the STP podcast on Synergy for more information on services available.

TMLIRP is excited to announce the introduction of TMLIRP Alerts. TMLIRP Alerts are designed to provide Members with key information before, during and after potential catastrophe events. Information incorporated in these alerts include:

• Up-to-date weather forecasts
• Actions TMLIRP is taking to prepare for potential claims
• Actions Members can take to prepare for the event
• Methods to report claims
• Resources available through SynergyNDS, approved response partner for TMLIRP Members

How are TMLIRP Alerts sent?

TMLIRP Alerts are distributed via email. Alerts are targeted on a regional basis to ensure that only Members in potentially affected areas receive them.

What type of “events” are TMLIRP Alerts used for?

TMLIRP Alerts are sent for events such as Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, large scale hail and flood events and other potentially widespread weather occurrences.

Who should receive TMLIRP Alerts?

Fund contacts in the affected area will automatically receive the alerts,  but all Member staff involved with claims and loss recovery are encouraged to sign up as well. This includes, but is not limited to, City Managers, Risk Managers, EOC/Emergency Management Directors, First Responders, Public Works, etc.

Texas Legislature: A Quick Pool-Related Update 

New pre-employment screening procedures for law enforcement agencies

S.B. 24 establishes new pre-employment procedures for law enforcement agencies hiring individuals licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), including a peace officer and a telecommunicator.  The requirement begins on January 1, 2022, and TCOLE will implement procedures prior to that date.  The TML Legislative Update has more information.

Legislature Mandates Mental Health Leave for Police Officers

S.B. 1359 requires law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt a mental health leave policy for police officers who experience a traumatic event in the scope of employment. A sample policy from the Texas Police Chiefs Association is available here.  The TML Legislative Update has more information.

Governor Issues New Vaccine Order: Governor Abbott issued GA-39, prohibiting governmental entities from compelling an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of full FDA approval, among other things. More information on the executive order can be found in the COVID-19 Update, below. In the executive order, the governor stated his intention to add this topic to the special session. In a message to the legislature, the governor added the following to the call:

"Legislation regarding whether any state or local governmental entities in Texas can mandate that an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine and, if so, what exemptions should apply to such mandate."

Upcoming Loss Prevention Training

Click here for more information on Loss Prevention Training that has been scheduled through the end of 2021.