| 1 | 1 | | By: Gallegos S.B. No. 181 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the creation of a task force to study and develop |
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| 7 | 7 | | uniform reentry procedures for essential personnel entering an area |
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| 8 | 8 | | evacuated during a disaster or other emergency. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 418.018, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsections (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (d) The governor's division of emergency management, in |
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| 13 | 13 | | cooperation with the Department of Public Safety, shall create a |
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| 14 | 14 | | task force to study and develop uniform reentry procedures for |
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| 15 | 15 | | essential personnel entering a disaster area or a stricken or |
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| 16 | 16 | | threatened area that has been evacuated. The task force shall |
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| 17 | 17 | | submit a written report on the procedures developed by the task |
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| 18 | 18 | | force to the governor. The procedures must: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) authorize the orderly reentry of essential |
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| 20 | 20 | | personnel according to the critical functions provided by the |
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| 21 | 21 | | personnel in restoring normal operations to the area following an |
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| 22 | 22 | | evacuation; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) prioritize the order of reentry for the essential |
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| 24 | 24 | | personnel, including emergency responders, search and rescue |
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| 25 | 25 | | personnel, infrastructure and utility repair personnel, official |
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| 26 | 26 | | damage assessment personnel, health care providers, and businesses |
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| 27 | 27 | | essential to the return of residents; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) establish methods to authenticate the identity of |
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| 29 | 29 | | the personnel authorized to reenter the area. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (e) The task force created under Subsection (d) must include |
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| 31 | 31 | | representatives of: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) the office of the governor; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) the Department of Public Safety; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) emergency responders; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) search and rescue personnel; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (5) infrastructure and utility repair personnel; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (6) official damage assessment personnel; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (7) health care providers; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (8) county judges and mayors; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (9) businesses essential to the return of residents. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) Based on the report and procedures developed by the task |
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| 42 | 42 | | force created under Subsection (d) and in cooperation with the |
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| 43 | 43 | | Department of Public Safety, the governor by rule shall establish |
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| 44 | 44 | | uniform reentry procedures for essential personnel entering a |
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| 45 | 45 | | disaster area or a stricken or threatened area that has been |
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| 46 | 46 | | evacuated. The rules adopted under this section shall not diminish |
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| 47 | 47 | | the authority of local emergency management officials to adopt |
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| 48 | 48 | | appropriate reentry provisions in a local plan or to make decisions |
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| 49 | 49 | | on the timing and implementation of reentry activities. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 51 | 51 | | of this Act, the governor, in cooperation with the Department of |
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| 52 | 52 | | Public Safety of the State of Texas, shall: |
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| 53 | 53 | | (1) appoint members to the task force created under |
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| 54 | 54 | | Subsection (d), Section 418.018, Government Code, as added by this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act; and |
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| 56 | 56 | | (2) based on the report and procedures developed by |
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| 57 | 57 | | the task force, adopt rules on uniform reentry procedures for |
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| 58 | 58 | | essential personnel as required by Subsection (f), Section 418.018, |
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| 59 | 59 | | Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 61 | 61 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 62 | 62 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 64 | 64 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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