Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1598 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R8230 JG-F
2	2	By: Martinez H.B. No. 1598
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	or the color white; and
15	15	(B) displays a flashing and a steady light.
16	16	SECTION 2. Section 418.015(a), Government Code, is amended
17	17	to read as follows:
18	18	(a) An executive order or proclamation declaring a state of
19	19	disaster:
20	20	(1) activates the disaster recovery and
21	21	rehabilitation aspects of the state emergency management plan
22	22	applicable to the area subject to the declaration; [and]
23	23	(2) authorizes the deployment and use of any forces to
24	24	which the plan applies and the use or distribution of any supplies,
25	25	equipment, and materials or facilities assembled, stockpiled, or
26	26	arranged to be made available under this chapter or other law
27	27	relating to disasters; and
28	28	(3) activates for the area subject to the declaration
29	29	the disaster identification system described by Section 418.0155.
30	30	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
31	31	amended by adding Section 418.0155 to read as follows:
32	32	Sec. 418.0155. DISASTER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM. (a) In an
33	33	area subject to a declaration of a state of disaster under Section
34	34	418.014, a person may use an illuminated display to communicate
35	35	with disaster relief personnel. A person who elects to participate
36	36	in the disaster identification system shall:
37	37	(1) affix to each individual and domesticated animal
38	38	in the person's household an illuminated display of the following
39	39	colors:
40	40	(A) if the person has a monochromatic illuminated
41	41	display, the color white for each individual and animal; or
42	42	(B) if the person has a multicolored illuminated
43	43	display:
44	44	(i) blue for individuals 18 years of age or
45	45	older;
46	46	(ii) green for individuals with a
47	47	disability;
48	48	(iii) red for individuals younger than 18
49	49	years of age; and
50	50	(iv) yellow for animals; and
51	51	(2) using the illuminated display, signal to disaster
52	52	relief personnel responding to the area after the disaster with:
53	53	(A) a solid light on the display of each
54	54	household member who is healthy and not in need of medical
55	55	assistance; or
56	56	(B) a flashing light on the display of each
57	57	household member who is in need of medical assistance.
58	58	(b) Disaster relief personnel may patrol the designated
59	59	disaster area by air or ground at night to locate persons with
60	60	activated illuminated displays.
61	61	SECTION 4. Section 418.042(a), Government Code, is amended
62	62	to read as follows:
63	63	(a) The division shall prepare and keep current a
64	64	comprehensive state emergency management plan. The plan may
65	65	include:
66	66	(1) provisions for prevention and minimization of
67	67	injury and damage caused by disaster;
68	68	(2) provisions for prompt and effective response to
69	69	disaster;
70	70	(3) provisions for emergency relief;
71	71	(4) provisions for energy emergencies;
72	72	(5) identification of areas particularly vulnerable
73	73	to disasters;
74	74	(6) recommendations for zoning, building
75	75	restrictions, and other land-use controls, safety measures for
76	76	securing mobile homes or other nonpermanent or semipermanent
77	77	structures, and other preventive and preparedness measures
78	78	designed to eliminate or reduce disasters or their impact;
79	79	(7) provisions for assistance to local officials in
80	80	designing local emergency management plans;
81	81	(8) authorization and procedures for the erection or
82	82	other construction of temporary works designed to protect against
83	83	or mitigate danger, damage, or loss from flood, fire, or other
84	84	disaster;
85	85	(9) preparation and distribution to the appropriate
86	86	state and local officials of state catalogs of federal, state, and
87	87	private assistance programs;
88	88	(10) organization of manpower and channels of
89	89	assistance;
90	90	(11) coordination of federal, state, and local
91	91	emergency management activities;
92	92	(12) coordination of the state emergency management
93	93	plan with the emergency management plans of the federal government;
94	94	(13) coordination of federal and state energy
95	95	emergency plans;
96	96	(14) provisions for providing information to local
97	97	officials on activation of the Emergency Alert System established
98	98	under 47 C.F.R. Part 11;
99	99	(15) a database of public facilities that may be used
100	100	under Section 418.017 to shelter individuals during a disaster,
101	101	including air-conditioned facilities for shelter during an extreme
102	102	heat disaster and fortified structures for shelter during a wind
103	103	disaster;
104	104	(16) provisions for quickly replenishing the food
105	105	supplies of area food banks or food pantries following a disaster;
106	106	(17) provisions for the use of the disaster
107	107	identification system described by Section 418.0155; and
108	108	(18) [(17)] other necessary matters relating to
109	109	disasters.
110	110	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.