By: Miller, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst) H.B. No. 3022
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2019;
April 17, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on
Intergovernmental Relations; May 15, 2019, reported favorably by
the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 15, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to emergency warning systems operated by municipalities
and counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 418.1103 to read as follows:
Sec. 418.1103. LOCAL EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM. (a) In this
section, "contact information" means an individual's telephone
number, mobile telephone number, physical address, or e-mail
address.
(b) For purposes of operating an emergency warning system
for residents of a political subdivision, the political subdivision
may contract with the department for disclosure by the department
of the contact information of a political subdivision resident who
consents to the disclosure for the purpose of participating in the
system.
(c) A participant in an emergency warning system described
by Subsection (b) may request removal from the system by submitting
a written request, including a text message from a cellular
telephone or other wireless communication device, for removal to
the applicable political subdivision. On receipt of the request,
the applicable political subdivision shall remove the
participant's contact information from the system and cease issuing
emergency warnings to the former participant through the system.
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 521.013 to read as follows:
Sec. 521.013. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL EMERGENCY
WARNING SYSTEM. (a) In this section, "contact information" has the
meaning assigned by Section 418.1103, Government Code.
(b) When a person applies for an original or renewal
driver's license under this chapter, the person may consent to:
(1) participate in an emergency warning system
described by Section 418.1103, Government Code; and
(2) the disclosure by the department of the person's
contact information to the municipality or county, or both, in
which the person resides for the purpose of participating in an
emergency warning system operated by the municipality or county.
(c) The department shall include space on each application
for an original or renewal driver's license that allows a person
applying for an original or renewal driver's license to indicate
whether the person consents to participate in an emergency warning
system operated by the municipality or county, or both, in which the
person resides and consents to disclosure by the department of the
person's contact information to the municipality or county or both.
(d) The department shall disclose a person's contact
information to a municipality or county for participation in an
emergency warning system if:
(1) the person indicates the person's consent to
participate in an emergency warning system and to the disclosure of
the person's contact information under Subsection (b); and
(2) the applicable municipality or county:
(A) operates an emergency warning system; and
(B) has contracted with the department for the
disclosure of the person's contact information under Section
418.1103, Government Code.
(e) Contact information obtained by a municipality or
county under this section may not be used or disclosed for any
purpose other than enrolling a person in an emergency warning
system and issuing warnings to the person through the system.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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