Texas Department of Insurance

In the News

• July 9, 2009
  Kidde Portable Equipment, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms, due to possible failure to warn of a fire.
  
  
• May 29, 2009 
  Senate Bill 61. Relating to the offense of failing to secure a child passenger in a motor vehicle and to fines for the offense.
  This bill becomes effective on September 1, 2009.  The bill raises the age of the child required to be secured in a passenger safety seat system while being transported from five to eight and increases the height requirement exemption from 36 inches to four feet, nine inches.  It also decreases the fine for violation from not less than $100 or more than $200 to not more than $25 for the first offense and not more than $250 for a second or subsequent offense.  Additionally, the bill calls for the assessment of 15 cents as court cost on conviction, which sums are to be used to purchase child passenger safety seat systems for distribution to low-income families.  The complete bill text and all action may be accessed online.
  
• May 22, 2009
  House Bill 90. Relating to the sale of toy-like lighters in this state; imposing a penalty.
  The bill passed favorably out of the House, went to the Senate for first reading and was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee.  The bill was left pending in committee.  The bill text and all action may be accessed online.
  
  
• April 23, 2009
  A five-year-old playing with gun-shaped lighter starts fire in El Paso; story from KVIA TV. See story and video.
  
  
• April 14, 2009
  Two Pasadena arson investigators win award for juvenile firesetter intervention program.  See story.
  
  
• March 27, 2009
  Waco Fire Marshal Jerry Hawk is honored by A Texas Advisory Council on Arson (ATAC).  See ATAC press release. 
  

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