| 1 | 1 | | 84R8016 DDT-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Parker H.B. No. 2289 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the security of the electric grid. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. (a) The Electric Grid Security Advisory |
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| 10 | 10 | | Committee is created. The committee is composed of the following |
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| 11 | 11 | | members: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) two members appointed by the governor; |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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| 14 | 14 | | and |
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| 15 | 15 | | (3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house |
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| 16 | 16 | | of representatives. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The governor shall designate a member of the committee |
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| 18 | 18 | | to serve as presiding officer. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding |
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| 20 | 20 | | officer. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (d) The committee shall study the Texas electric grid and |
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| 22 | 22 | | the computer systems and networks related to it. The study must: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) evaluate and summarize the current state of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | electric grid and associated computer systems and networks; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) consider potential security threats to the |
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| 26 | 26 | | electric grid and associated computer systems and networks; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) assess whether further efforts are needed to |
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| 28 | 28 | | secure the electric grid and associated computer systems and |
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| 29 | 29 | | networks against damage, including the threat of electromagnetic |
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| 30 | 30 | | pulse or other attacks and natural threats, including solar flares; |
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| 31 | 31 | | and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) recommend measures to secure the electric grid and |
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| 33 | 33 | | associated computer systems and networks against damage. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (e) The committee may share its findings with any state |
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| 35 | 35 | | agency it considers important to the security of the electric grid |
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| 36 | 36 | | or associated computer systems or networks. To the extent allowed |
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| 37 | 37 | | by law, a state agency with which the committee shares information |
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| 38 | 38 | | is encouraged to implement any recommendations that the agency |
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| 39 | 39 | | determines will improve the security of the state's electric grid |
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| 40 | 40 | | or associated computer systems or networks. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) ERCOT shall cooperate with the committee to provide any |
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| 42 | 42 | | information and resources the committee considers important to the |
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| 43 | 43 | | study. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (g) A member of the committee is not entitled to |
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| 45 | 45 | | compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's |
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| 46 | 46 | | travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660, Government Code, and |
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| 47 | 47 | | the General Appropriations Act. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (h) A vacancy on the task force shall be filled for the |
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| 49 | 49 | | unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (i) The committee is not subject to Chapter 2110, Government |
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| 51 | 51 | | Code. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (j) Not later than December 1, 2016, the committee shall |
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| 53 | 53 | | prepare a report of its findings, including any recommendations for |
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| 54 | 54 | | legislation resulting from the findings, and shall submit the |
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| 55 | 55 | | report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of |
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| 56 | 56 | | the house of representatives. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (k) The committee's work relates to sensitive matters of |
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| 58 | 58 | | security. Notwithstanding any other law, the meetings, work, and |
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| 59 | 59 | | findings of the committee are not subject to the requirements of |
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| 60 | 60 | | Chapter 551 or 552, Government Code. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (l) The committee is abolished and this section expires on |
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| 62 | 62 | | December 31, 2016. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is |
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| 64 | 64 | | amended by adding Section 39.917 to read as follows: |
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| 65 | 65 | | Sec. 39.917. INFORMATION RELATED TO GRID SECURITY. The |
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| 66 | 66 | | independent organization certified under Section 39.151 shall |
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| 67 | 67 | | collect and compile information related to the security of the |
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| 68 | 68 | | electric grid. The information is confidential and is not subject |
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| 69 | 69 | | to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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| 70 | 70 | | SECTION 3. The governor, the lieutenant governor, and the |
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| 71 | 71 | | speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint members to |
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| 72 | 72 | | the Electric Grid Security Advisory Committee, as required by this |
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| 73 | 73 | | Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, |
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| 74 | 74 | | but not later than the 120th day after the effective date of this |
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| 75 | 75 | | Act. |
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| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 77 | 77 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 78 | 78 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 80 | 80 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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