Texas Legislative Updates
Current Initiatives Concerning Emergency Management
The Texas Legislature is arguably the most powerful arm of the government in Texas due to the ability to control spending and direct the activities of state government. The legislature meets in regular session, the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. Per the Texas Constitution, the regular session is limited to 140 days. The Governor may call the Legislature into special sessions for thirty days to address specific issues and may call as many sessions as he wishes. January 13, 2009 marked the beginning of the 81st Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. EMAT Board Member Jeff Braun, Emergency Management Coordinator, Fort Bend County has been tracking the legislative session on behalf of EMAT. Below are several bills that may be of interest to emergency management professionals.
House Bills of Interest
Senate Bills of Interest
House Bills of Interest
HB 6
Relating to appropriations for damages and disruptions suffered by state agencies and institutions of higher education caused by natural disaster and to an appropriation for disaster relief generally.
HB 30
Relating to boil water notification requirements for water systems.
HB 441
Relating to an emergency power supply for convalescent and nursing homes and related institutions.
HB 443
Relating to requiring certain service stations to be capable of operating with alternate generated power.
HB 450
Relating to exempting certain hurricane preparation supplies from the sales tax for a limited period.
HB 457
Relating to requiring certain service stations to be capable for cooperating with alternative electrical power and to have an alternative electrical generator.
HB 632
Relating to the requirement that retail water and utility services maintain auxiliary generators for use during a local power outage; providing an administrative penalty.
HB 654
Relating to the prices of certain consumer goods and services during a declared state of disaster.
HB 726
Relating to the frequent and content of school bus emergency evacuation training.
HB 727
Relating to the closure of public school campus that is being used as an emergency evacuation shelter.
HB 734
Relating to certain requirements for school bus emergency evacuation training.
HB 996
Relating to school bus emergency evacuation training.
HB 1014
Relating to the requirement that certain retail water and sewer utility services maintain auxiliary generators.
HB 1015
Relating to requiring certain service station to be capable of operating with alternative electrical power and to have an alternative electrical generator; providing a criminal penalty.
HB 1026
Relating to establishing legislative district emergency response teams.
HB 1326
Relating to a plan to replenish the food supplies of food banks or food pantries following a disaster.
HB 1556
Relating to local public health and public safety alerts.
HB 1559
Relating to the frequency of required school bus emergency evacuation training.
HB 1591
Relating to exempting sales of certain hurricane preparations supplies in certain counties from the sales tax for a limited period.
HB 1710
Relating to requiring certain facilities located in certain areas prone to severe weather to have emergency generators.
HB 1766
Relating to exempting prepaid wireless telecommunications devices from the 9-1-1 emergency service fee.
HB 1831
Relating to emergency management changes to chapter 418.
HB 1998
Relating to temporary housing and emergency shelters provided by a political subdivision for disaster victims.
HB 2041
Relating to exemptions from the sales tax for certain items used to survive severe weather.
HB 2248
Relating to an emergency management plan for certain health care facilities.
HB 2405
Relating to the requirement that certain retail water and sewer utility services maintain service during an extended power outage.
HB 2507
Relating to the establishment of an interoperable statewide emergency radio infrastructure and the impositions of an emergency radio infrastructure fee on certain telephones services.
HB 2539
Relating to a disaster recovery insurance claims mediation program.
HB 2558
Relating to registration for evacuation and disaster preparedness for clients of home and community support services agencies.
HB 4102
Relating to the disaster contingency fund.
Senate Bills of Interest
SB 12
Relating to emergency management.
SB 75
Relating to the establishment of a disaster and emergency education program.
SB 178
Relating to temporary housing and emergency shelters provided by a political subdivision for disaster victims.
SB 181
Relating to uniform reentry procedures for essential personnel entering an area evacuated during a disaster or other emergency.
SB 336
Relating to closing of state schools.
SB 356
Relating to the frequency and content of school bus emergency evacuation training.
SB 359
Relating to punishment for certain offenses committed in a disaster area or evacuated area.
SB 360
Relating to exempting certain hurricane preparation supplies from the sales tax for a limited period.
SB 361
Relating to the requirement that certain water service providers ensure emergency operations during an extended power outage.
SB 441
Relating to requiring certain service stations to be capable of operating with alternative electrical power and to have an alternative electrical generator.
SB 487
Relating to restrictions on the prices of certain consumer goods and services during an abnormal destruction of the market.
SB 681
Relating to the ability of electric utilities to provide electric service during a major power outage.
SB 1112
Relating to the provision of money from a county's general fund to disaster victims.
SB 2264
Relating to the provision of a community telephone emergency notification system as part of the 9-1-1 system.
SB 2323
Relating to the functions of the Texas School Safety Center and Safety at public educational institutions.
