Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2325 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 2325
	1	+	By: Metcalf, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 2325
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2019;
	3	+	April 17, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on
	4	+	Business & Commerce; May 10, 2019, reported adversely, with
	5	+	favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8,
	6	+	Nays 0; May 10, 2019, sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2325 By: Hancock
2	9
3	10
	11	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	12		AN ACT
5	13		relating to information and communication of governmental and other
6	14		entities regarding disasters and health and human services.
7	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	16		SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
9	17		amended by adding Sections 418.054, 418.055, 418.056, 418.057,
10	18		418.058, and 418.059 to read as follows:
11	19		Sec. 418.054. COORDINATING 9-1-1 TEXT MESSAGE CAPABILITY.
12	20		The division, in consultation with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
13	21		Service, shall coordinate state and local government efforts to
14	22		make 9-1-1 emergency service capable of receiving text messages
15	23		from a cellular telephone or other wireless communication device.
16	24		Sec. 418.055. SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING AND AFTER DISASTERS.
17	25		The division, in consultation with any state agency or private
18	26		entity the division determines is appropriate, shall develop
19	27		standards for the use of social media as a communication tool by
20	28		governmental entities during and after a disaster. The standards
21	29		must:
22	30		(1) require state agencies, political subdivisions,
23	31		first responders, and volunteers that use social media during and
24	32		after a disaster to post consistent and clear information;
25	33		(2) optimize the effectiveness of social media use
26	34		during and after a disaster; and
27	35		(3) require that certain official social media
28	36		accounts be used during and after a disaster only for providing
29	37		credible sources of information.
30	38		Sec. 418.056. DISASTER MOBILE APPLICATION. (a) The
31	39		division shall develop a mobile application for wireless
32	40		communication devices to communicate critical information during a
33	41		disaster directly to disaster victims and first responders.
34	42		(b) The mobile application may provide information on:
35	43		(1) road and weather conditions during a disaster; and
36	44		(2) disaster response and recovery activities.
37	45		Sec. 418.057. DISASTER WEB PORTAL. The division shall
38	46		develop a comprehensive disaster web portal. The web portal must:
39	47		(1) provide disaster information to the public,
40	48		including information on programs and services available to
41	49		disaster victims and funding for and expenditures of disaster
42	50		assistance programs;
43	51		(2) include information on disaster response and
44	52		recovery activities; and
45	53		(3) provide information on obtaining assistance from
46	54		the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state agencies, organized
47	55		volunteer groups, and any other entities providing disaster
48	56		assistance.
49	57		Sec. 418.058. USE OF DATA ANALYTICS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT.
50	58		To the extent feasible, the division shall use data analytics
51	59		software to integrate data from federal, state, local, and
52	60		nongovernmental sources to more effectively manage disaster
53	61		response and recovery.
54	62		Sec. 418.059. STUDY ON STANDARD COMMUNICATION FORMAT. (a)
55	63		To improve the state's response to disasters, the division shall
56	64		conduct a study on the use of a standard communication format by
57	65		first responders to create a common interoperable operating
58	66		framework during a disaster. The study must:
59	67		(1) examine the costs and benefits of promoting the
60	68		use of a standard communication format to create a comprehensive
61	69		common operating framework that is interoperable across networks;
62	70		(2) identify any costs that first responders may incur
63	71		in acquiring or upgrading equipment or services complying with a
64	72		standard communication format; and
65	73		(3) identify necessary actions to adopt a standard
66	74		communication format.
67	75		(b) Not later than September 1, 2020, the division shall
68	76		submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and members of the
69	77		legislature a report on the findings of the study.
70	78		(c) This section expires December 1, 2020.
71	79		SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
72	80		amended by adding Section 418.127 to read as follows:
73	81		Sec. 418.127. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMUNITY OUTREACH. To
74	82		the extent practicable, the following entities shall conduct
75	83		community outreach, including public awareness campaigns, and
76	84		education activities on disaster preparedness each year:
77	85		(1) municipalities and counties;
78	86		(2) the department, including the division;
79	87		(3) the Texas Education Agency;
80	88		(4) the office of the comptroller;
81	89		(5) the Texas Department of Insurance;
82	90		(6) the Texas Department of Transportation;
83	91		(7) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
84	92		Affairs;
85	93		(8) the Health and Human Services Commission; and
86	94		(9) the Department of State Health Services.
87	95		SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
88	96		amended by adding Sections 418.193 and 418.194 to read as follows:
89	97		Sec. 418.193. PURCHASE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMODITY
90	98		ITEMS FOR DISASTER PURPOSES. A public safety entity, as defined by
91	99		47 U.S.C. Section 1401, or a county hospital, public hospital, or
92	100		hospital district may purchase commodity items through the
93	101		Department of Information Resources in accordance with Section
94	102		2157.068 if the public safety entity, hospital, or hospital
95	103		district finds that the purchase of those commodity items will
96	104		assist the public safety entity, hospital, or hospital district in
97	105		providing disaster education or preparing for a disaster.
98	106		Sec. 418.194. CONTRACTS WITH CERTAIN ENTITIES FOR DISASTER
99	107		PURPOSES. (a) In this section, "consolidated telecommunications
100	108		system" has the meaning assigned by Section 2170.001(a).
101	109		(b) A public safety entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section
102	110		1401, or a governmental entity of another state may contract with
103	111		the Department of Information Resources for use of the consolidated
104	112		telecommunications system in accordance with Section 2170.004 if
105	113		the public safety entity or governmental entity finds that the use
106	114		of the consolidated telecommunications system will assist the
107	115		entity in providing disaster education or preparing for a disaster.
108	116		SECTION 4. Section 531.0312(a), Government Code, is amended
109	117		to read as follows:
110	118		(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network at the
111	119		commission is the program responsible for the development,
112	120		coordination, and implementation of a statewide information and
113	121		referral network that integrates existing community-based
114	122		structures with state and local agencies. The network must:
115	123		(1) include information relating to transportation
116	124		services provided to clients of state and local agencies;
117	125		(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster
118	126		response and emergency management, including through the use of
119	127		interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure
120	128		preparedness and responsiveness;
121	129		(3) include technology capable of communicating with
122	130		clients of state and local agencies using electronic text
123	131		messaging; and
124	132		(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based
125	133		system to provide real-time, searchable data about the location and
126	134		number of clients of state and local agencies using the system and
127	135		the types of requests made by the clients.
128	136		SECTION 5. Section 2157.068(j), Government Code, is amended
129	137		to read as follows:
130	138		(j) The following entities may purchase commodity items
131	139		through the department, and be charged a reasonable administrative
132	140		fee, as provided by this section:
133	141		(1) the Electric Reliability Council of Texas;
134	142		(2) the Lower Colorado River Authority;
135	143		(3) a private school, as defined by Section 5.001,
136	144		Education Code;
137	145		(4) a private or independent institution of higher
138	146		education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; [or]
139	147		(5) a volunteer fire department, as defined by Section
140	148		152.001, Tax Code;
141	149		(6) subject to Section 418.193, a public safety
142	150		entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 1401; or
143	151		(7) subject to Section 418.193, a county hospital,
144	152		public hospital, or hospital district.
145	153		SECTION 6. Section 2170.004, Government Code, is amended to
146	154		read as follows:
147	155		Sec. 2170.004. CONTRACTS WITH ENTITIES OTHER THAN STATE
148	156		AGENCIES. The department may contract for use of the consolidated
149	157		telecommunications system with:
150	158		(1) each house of the legislature;
151	159		(2) a legislative agency;
152	160		(3) an agency that is not a state agency as defined by
153	161		Section 2151.002;
154	162		(4) a political subdivision, including a county,
155	163		municipality, or district;
156	164		(5) a private institution of higher education
157	165		accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, as defined by
158	166		Section 61.003, Education Code, that:
159	167		(A) engages in distance learning, as defined by
160	168		Section 57.021, Utilities Code; and
161	169		(B) receives federal funds for distance learning
162	170		initiatives; [and]
163	171		(6) an assistance organization, as defined by Section
164	172		2175.001;
165	173		(7) subject to Section 418.194, a public safety
166	174		entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 1401; and
167	175		(8) subject to Section 418.194, a governmental entity
168	176		of another state.
169	177		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
170		-	______________________________ ______________________________
171		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
172		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2325 was passed by the House on April
173		-	11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 2 present, not
174		-	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
175		-	No. 2325 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 3,
176		-	2 present, not voting.
177		-	______________________________
178		-	Chief Clerk of the House
179		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2325 was passed by the Senate, with
180		-	amendments, on May 21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
181		-	0.
182		-	______________________________
183		-	Secretary of the Senate
184		-	APPROVED: __________________
185		-	Date
186		-	__________________
187		-	Governor
	178	+	* * * * *