By: McCall (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos) H.B. No. 1998
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2009;
April 24, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
Intergovernmental Relations; May 11, 2009, reported adversely,
with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5,
Nays 0; May 11, 2009, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1998 By: Gallegos
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to temporary housing and emergency shelters provided by a
political subdivision for disaster victims.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 418.004, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (6-a) to read as follows:
(6-a) "Public facility" has the meaning assigned by
Section 102, Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Section 5122).
SECTION 2. Section 418.020, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 418.020. TEMPORARY HOUSING AND EMERGENCY SHELTER.
(a) The governor may enter into purchase, lease, or other
arrangements with an agency of the United States for temporary
housing units to be occupied by disaster victims and may make units
available to any political subdivision.
(b) The governor may assist a political subdivision that is
the locus of temporary housing or emergency shelters for disaster
victims to acquire sites necessary for temporary housing or
emergency shelters and to do all things required to prepare the
sites to receive and use temporary housing units or emergency
shelters by:
(1) advancing or lending funds available to the
governor from any appropriation made by the legislature or from any
other source;
(2) allocating funds made available by a public or
private agency; or
(3) becoming a copartner with the political
subdivision for the execution and performance of any temporary
housing or emergency shelter project for disaster victims.
(c) Under regulations prescribed by the governor, the
governor may temporarily suspend or modify for a period of not more
than 60 days any public health, safety, zoning, intrastate
transportation, or other law or regulation if by proclamation the
governor considers the suspension or modification essential to
provide temporary housing or emergency shelter for disaster
victims.
(d) Any political subdivision may temporarily or
permanently acquire by lease, purchase, or other means sites
required for installation of temporary housing units or emergency
shelters for disaster victims and may enter into arrangements
necessary to prepare or equip the sites to use the housing units or
shelters, including arrangements for the purchase of temporary
housing units or shelters and the payment of transportation
charges.
(e) A political subdivision that is the locus of temporary
housing or emergency shelters for persons moved or evacuated by
recommendation or order of the governor may be assisted by any
resource available to the state, including the disaster contingency
fund, to ensure the political subdivision receives an advance or
reimbursement:
(1) of all expenses, including lost revenue, incurred
by the political subdivision associated with the use of public
facilities for temporary housing or emergency shelters; and
(2) of the amounts paid for salaries and benefits of
permanently employed, straight-time and regular-time personnel of
the political subdivision who perform duties associated with the
movement or evacuation of persons into, out of, or through the
political subdivision.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
* * * * *