| 1 | 1 | | By: Hall, et al. S.B. No. 1398 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Parker, Phillips, Simpson, White of Bell, Schaefer) |
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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 a study by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on |
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| 8 | 8 | | securing critical infrastructure from electromagnetic, |
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| 9 | 9 | | geomagnetic, terrorist, and cyber-attack threats. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "critical infrastructure" |
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| 12 | 12 | | means an electrical power generating facility, substation, |
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| 13 | 13 | | switching station, electrical control center, or electrical |
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| 14 | 14 | | transmission or distribution facility. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall instruct |
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| 16 | 16 | | the independent organization certified under Section 39.151, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Utilities Code, to commission a study on the security of the Texas |
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| 18 | 18 | | electric grid and the computer systems and networks related to it. |
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| 19 | 19 | | On or before September 1, 2015, the independent organization must |
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| 20 | 20 | | name persons to conduct the study who have expertise in: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) electromagnetic pulse disturbances; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) cybersecurity; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) geomagnetic disturbances; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (4) electric power transmission and distribution |
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| 25 | 25 | | system security; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (5) terrorism. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) Through the study the independent organization must: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) identify the critical infrastructure that is at |
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| 29 | 29 | | risk from electromagnetic, geomagnetic, terrorist, and |
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| 30 | 30 | | cyber-attack threats; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) evaluate technologies available to improve the |
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| 32 | 32 | | resiliency of critical infrastructure against electromagnetic, |
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| 33 | 33 | | geomagnetic, terrorist, or cyber-attack threats; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) evaluate measures to secure the electric grid and |
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| 35 | 35 | | associated computer systems and networks against damage against |
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| 36 | 36 | | electromagnetic, geomagnetic, terrorist, and cyber-attack threats; |
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| 37 | 37 | | and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) assess the projected cost of enhancements to |
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| 39 | 39 | | critical infrastructure that are necessary to secure adequately |
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| 40 | 40 | | against electromagnetic, geomagnetic, terrorist, and cyber-attack |
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| 41 | 41 | | threats. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) Information collected by the independent organization |
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| 43 | 43 | | for the study that is related to the security of the electric grid |
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| 44 | 44 | | is confidential and is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, |
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| 45 | 45 | | Government Code. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2016, the Public |
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| 47 | 47 | | Utility Commission of Texas shall provide a report on the results of |
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| 48 | 48 | | the study required by this Act to the governor, the lieutenant |
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| 49 | 49 | | governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each |
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| 50 | 50 | | standing committee of the senate and the house of representatives |
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| 51 | 51 | | with primary jurisdiction over the electric grid and emergency |
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| 52 | 52 | | management. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 54 | 54 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 55 | 55 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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