Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1970 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R7972 SCL-F
2	2	By: Martinez H.B. No. 1970
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the disaster identification system
8	8	for a state of disaster.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 418.004, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subdivision (3-a) to read as follows:
12	12	(3-a) "Illuminated display" means a device that:
13	13	(A) displays blue, green, red, and yellow colors;
14	14	(B) provides continuous illumination for at
15	15	least 72 hours;
16	16	(C) displays a flashing and a steady light;
17	17	(D) is reusable; and
18	18	(E) is water-resistant up to 30 feet.
19	19	SECTION 2. Section 418.015(a), Government Code, is amended
20	20	to read as follows:
21	21	(a) An executive order or proclamation declaring a state of
22	22	disaster:
23	23	(1) activates the disaster recovery and
24	24	rehabilitation aspects of the state emergency management plan
25	25	applicable to the area subject to the declaration; [and]
26	26	(2) authorizes the deployment and use of any forces to
27	27	which the plan applies and the use or distribution of any supplies,
28	28	equipment, and materials or facilities assembled, stockpiled, or
29	29	arranged to be made available under this chapter or other law
30	30	relating to disasters; and
31	31	(3) activates for the area subject to the declaration
32	32	the disaster identification system described by Section 418.0155.
33	33	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
34	34	amended by adding Section 418.0155 to read as follows:
35	35	Sec. 418.0155. DISASTER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM. (a) In an
36	36	area subject to a declaration of a state of disaster under Section
37	37	418.014, a person may use an illuminated display to communicate
38	38	with disaster relief personnel. A person who elects to participate
39	39	in the disaster identification system shall:
40	40	(1) affix to each individual and domesticated animal
41	41	in the person's household an illuminated display of the following
42	42	colors:
43	43	(A) blue for men 18 years of age or older;
44	44	(B) green for women 18 years of age or older;
45	45	(C) red for children younger than 18 years of
46	46	age; and
47	47	(D) yellow for animals; and
48	48	(2) using the illuminated display, signal to disaster
49	49	relief personnel responding to the area after the disaster with:
50	50	(A) a solid light on the display of each
51	51	household member who is healthy and not in need of medical
52	52	assistance; or
53	53	(B) a flashing light on the display of each
54	54	household member who is in need of medical assistance.
55	55	(b) Disaster relief personnel may patrol the designated
56	56	disaster area by air at night to locate persons with activated
57	57	illuminated displays.
58	58	SECTION 4. Section 418.042(a), Government Code, is amended
59	59	to read as follows:
60	60	(a) The division shall prepare and keep current a
61	61	comprehensive state emergency management plan. The plan may
62	62	include:
63	63	(1) provisions for prevention and minimization of
64	64	injury and damage caused by disaster;
65	65	(2) provisions for prompt and effective response to
66	66	disaster;
67	67	(3) provisions for emergency relief;
68	68	(4) provisions for energy emergencies;
69	69	(5) identification of areas particularly vulnerable
70	70	to disasters;
71	71	(6) recommendations for zoning, building
72	72	restrictions, and other land-use controls, safety measures for
73	73	securing mobile homes or other nonpermanent or semipermanent
74	74	structures, and other preventive and preparedness measures
75	75	designed to eliminate or reduce disasters or their impact;
76	76	(7) provisions for assistance to local officials in
77	77	designing local emergency management plans;
78	78	(8) authorization and procedures for the erection or
79	79	other construction of temporary works designed to protect against
80	80	or mitigate danger, damage, or loss from flood, fire, or other
81	81	disaster;
82	82	(9) preparation and distribution to the appropriate
83	83	state and local officials of state catalogs of federal, state, and
84	84	private assistance programs;
85	85	(10) organization of manpower and channels of
86	86	assistance;
87	87	(11) coordination of federal, state, and local
88	88	emergency management activities;
89	89	(12) coordination of the state emergency management
90	90	plan with the emergency management plans of the federal government;
91	91	(13) coordination of federal and state energy
92	92	emergency plans;
93	93	(14) provisions for providing information to local
94	94	officials on activation of the Emergency Alert System established
95	95	under 47 C.F.R. Part 11;
96	96	(15) a database of public facilities that may be used
97	97	under Section 418.017 to shelter individuals during a disaster,
98	98	including air-conditioned facilities for shelter during an extreme
99	99	heat disaster and fortified structures for shelter during a wind
100	100	disaster;
101	101	(16) provisions for quickly replenishing the food
102	102	supplies of area food banks or food pantries following a disaster;
103	103	(17) provisions for the use of the disaster
104	104	identification system described by Section 418.0155; and
105	105	(18) [(17)] other necessary matters relating to
106	106	disasters.
107	107	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.