Sec. 417.004.  GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES.  (a)  The state fire marshal, under the supervision of the commissioner, shall administer and enforce applicable provisions of the Insurance Code and other law relating to the state fire marshal.  The commissioner shall perform the supervisory and rule-making functions previously performed by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection under this subsection.  The commissioner and the commission shall transfer information between the two agencies as necessary to allow the agencies to perform their statutory duties.  The commissioner and the commission may make and adopt by rule memoranda of understanding as necessary to coordinate their respective duties.
(b)  The state fire marshal is the chief investigator in charge of the investigation of arson and suspected arson in the state.
(c)  The state fire marshal may make or encourage studies of fire protection, including fire administration.
(d)  The state fire marshal may conduct research to improve fire protection and fire administration and may stimulate research by public and private agencies for that purpose.
(e)  The state fire marshal may, on the request of a public or nonprofit entity with duties related to fire protection, advise or assist the entity in relation to those duties.
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 147, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.  Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 628, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1991;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1172, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.