Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2340 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 2340
	1	+	By: Dominguez, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Johnson) H.B. No. 2340
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2019;
	3	+	April 24, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Water &
	4	+	Rural Affairs; May 13, 2019, reported favorably by the following
	5	+	vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 13, 2019, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to emergency and disaster management, response, and
6	12		recovery.
7	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	14		SECTION 1. Section 418.002, Government Code, is amended to
9	15		read as follows:
10	16		Sec. 418.002. PURPOSES. The purposes of this chapter are
11	17		to:
12	18		(1) reduce vulnerability of people and communities of
13	19		this state to damage, injury, and loss of life and property
14	20		resulting from natural or man-made catastrophes, riots, or hostile
15	21		military or paramilitary action;
16	22		(2) prepare for prompt and efficient rescue, care, and
17	23		treatment of persons victimized or threatened by disaster;
18	24		(3) provide a setting conducive to the rapid and
19	25		orderly restoration and rehabilitation of persons and property
20	26		affected by disasters;
21	27		(4) clarify and strengthen the roles of the governor,
22	28		state agencies, the judicial branch of state government, and local
23	29		governments in prevention of, preparation for, response to, and
24	30		recovery from disasters;
25	31		(5) authorize and provide for cooperation in disaster
26	32		mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery;
27	33		(6) authorize and provide for coordination of
28	34		activities relating to disaster mitigation, preparedness,
29	35		response, and recovery by agencies and officers of this state, and
30	36		similar state-local, interstate, federal-state, and foreign
31	37		activities in which the state and its political subdivisions may
32	38		participate;
33	39		(7) provide an emergency management system embodying
34	40		all aspects of predisaster preparedness and postdisaster response;
35	41		(8) assist in mitigation of disasters caused or
36	42		aggravated by inadequate planning for and regulation of public and
37	43		private facilities and land use; [and]
38	44		(9) encourage state agencies, local governments,
39	45		nongovernmental organizations, private entities, and individuals
40	46		to adopt the goals of the strategic plan of the Federal Emergency
41	47		Management Agency for preparing for, responding to, and recovering
42	48		from a disaster that emphasize cooperation among federal agencies,
43	49		state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organizations,
44	50		private entities, and individuals in each activity or project
45	51		undertaken to ensure that this state is prepared to effectively
46	52		respond to and recover from a disaster; and
47	53		(10) provide the authority and mechanism to respond to
48	54		an energy emergency.
49	55		SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
50	56		amended by adding Sections 418.054 and 418.055 to read as follows:
51	57		Sec. 418.054. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT STUDY GROUP. (a) In this
52	58		section, "study group" means the unmanned aircraft study group
53	59		established under this section.
54	60		(b) The unmanned aircraft study group is established and
55	61		consists of the following members appointed by the chief of the
56	62		division:
57	63		(1) representatives of the division;
58	64		(2) representatives from institutions of higher
59	65		education; and
60	66		(3) other appropriate interested persons.
61	67		(c) The study group shall study issues related to the
62	68		appropriate use of unmanned aircraft in responding to and
63	69		recovering from a disaster, including:
64	70		(1) strategies for coordinating and promoting the use
65	71		of unmanned aircraft among state agencies, local governments, and
66	72		private entities in the response and recovery; and
67	73		(2) recommended changes to state law that would allow
68	74		state agencies, local governments, and private entities to more
69	75		effectively use unmanned aircraft in the response and recovery.
70	76		(d) Not later than November 1, 2020, the study group shall
71	77		submit a report containing recommendations on the issues described
72	78		by Subsection (c) to each member of the legislature.
73	79		(e) The study group is abolished and this section expires
74	80		January 1, 2021.
75	81		Sec. 418.055. INFORMATION SHARING WORK GROUP. (a) In this
76	82		section, "work group" means the work group established under this
77	83		section.
78	84		(b) The division shall establish a work group of state
79	85		agencies involved in disaster management. The work group consists
80	86		of members appointed by the chief of the division who represent:
81	87		(1) the comptroller's office;
82	88		(2) the Department of State Health Services;
83	89		(3) the Texas Department of Transportation;
84	90		(4) the General Land Office;
85	91		(5) the Health and Human Services Commission;
86	92		(6) institutions of higher education; and
87	93		(7) to the extent practicable, appropriate federal
88	94		agencies.
89	95		(c) The work group shall develop recommendations for
90	96		improving the manner in which electronic information is stored by
91	97		and shared among state agencies and between state agencies and
92	98		federal agencies to improve the capacity of the agencies to:
93	99		(1) respond to a disaster; and
94	100		(2) coordinate the agencies' responses to a disaster.
95	101		(d) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
96	102		the work group shall submit the group's recommendations to the
97	103		governor.
98	104		SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
99	105		amended by adding Section 418.056 to read as follows:
100	106		Sec. 418.056. PERMITTING TASK FORCE. (a) The division
101	107		shall form a task force with representatives from the General Land
102	108		Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Parks and
103	109		Wildlife Department, Texas Water Development Board, Texas A&M
104	110		AgriLife Extension Service, Department of State Health Services,
105	111		Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Texas Historical Commission
106	112		to be activated if a state of disaster is declared under Section
107	113		418.014 because of weather conditions to expedite:
108	114		(1) environmental permitting; and
109	115		(2) access to funds from federal disaster relief
110	116		programs following the disaster.
111	117		(b) The task force formed under this section shall develop
112	118		recommendations for expediting the evaluation of environmental
113	119		permits during disaster recovery in order for local entities to
114	120		demonstrate compliance with regulations and access federal
115	121		disaster relief programs and funding.
116	122		(c) In performing its duties under this section, the task
117	123		force may use resources of agencies participating in the task
118	124		force.
119	125		SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 751, Government Code, is
120	126		amended by adding Section 751.017 to read as follows:
121	127		Sec. 751.017. FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY
122	128		RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DISASTER ASSISTANCE. (a) The office, in
123	129		consultation with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and,
124	130		as practicable, federal agencies and members of Congress, shall:
125	131		(1) study federal laws and policies related to issues
126	132		affecting the ability of federal agencies, state agencies, and
127	133		local governments to cooperate in responding to a disaster,
128	134		including issues related to procurement, housing assistance,
129	135		information sharing, personnel, and federal disaster assistance
130	136		programs; and
131	137		(2) make recommendations to improve federal laws and
132	138		policies related to the issues described by Subdivision (1).
133	139		(b) Not later than November 1, 2020, the office shall
134	140		deliver to the board a report of the recommendations described by
135	141		Subsection (a)(2).
136	142		(c) This section expires January 1, 2021.
137	143		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
138		-	______________________________ ______________________________
139		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
140		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2340 was passed by the House on April
141		-	11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1, 2 present, not
142		-	voting.
143		-	______________________________
144		-	Chief Clerk of the House
145		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2340 was passed by the Senate on May
146		-	16, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
147		-	______________________________
148		-	Secretary of the Senate
149		-	APPROVED: _____________________
150		-	Date
151		-	_____________________
152		-	Governor
	144	+	* * * * *