| 1 | 1 | | 86R11807 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lozano H.B. No. 4046 |
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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 providing information and communication regarding and |
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| 8 | 8 | | during a disaster. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Sections 418.054, 418.055, and 418.056 to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 418.054. COORDINATING 9-1-1 TEXT MESSAGE CAPABILITY. |
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| 14 | 14 | | The division, in consultation with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension |
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| 15 | 15 | | Service, shall coordinate state and local government efforts to |
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| 16 | 16 | | make 9-1-1 emergency service capable of receiving text messages |
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| 17 | 17 | | from a cellular telephone or other wireless communication device. |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 418.055. DISASTER MOBILE APPLICATION. (a) The |
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| 19 | 19 | | division, in consultation with the Texas A&M Forest Service, shall |
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| 20 | 20 | | develop a mobile application for wireless communication devices to |
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| 21 | 21 | | communicate critical information during a disaster directly to |
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| 22 | 22 | | disaster victims and first responders. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The mobile application may provide information on: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) road and weather conditions during a disaster; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) disaster response and recovery activities. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 418.056. STUDY ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS DURING |
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| 27 | 27 | | DISASTERS. (a) The division, in consultation with the Texas A&M |
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| 28 | 28 | | Engineering Extension Service, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension |
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| 29 | 29 | | Service, and other appropriate entities, shall conduct a study on |
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| 30 | 30 | | improving communication during a disaster. The study must: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) consider ways to improve and standardize the use |
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| 32 | 32 | | of social media as a communication tool during and after a disaster; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) examine the costs and benefits of promoting the |
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| 34 | 34 | | use of a standard communication format to create a single |
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| 35 | 35 | | comprehensive common operating framework; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) identify any costs that first responders may incur |
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| 37 | 37 | | in acquiring equipment complying with a standard communication |
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| 38 | 38 | | format; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) examine how private utility providers and the use |
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| 40 | 40 | | of the providers' portable satellite communications equipment and |
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| 41 | 41 | | portable mobile telephone towers may assist in response and |
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| 42 | 42 | | recovery after disasters; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (5) examine how the state may use data analytics for |
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| 44 | 44 | | more effective and timely analysis of information to improve |
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| 45 | 45 | | disaster management. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) Not later than August 31, 2020, the division shall |
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| 47 | 47 | | submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and members of the |
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| 48 | 48 | | legislature a report on the findings of the study. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (c) This section expires December 1, 2020. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
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| 51 | 51 | | amended by adding Section 418.193 to read as follows: |
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| 52 | 52 | | Sec. 418.193. DISASTER WEB PORTAL. The Texas A&M |
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| 53 | 53 | | University System, in coordination with the governor and the |
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| 54 | 54 | | division, shall develop a comprehensive disaster web portal. The |
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| 55 | 55 | | web portal must: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) provide disaster information to the public, |
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| 57 | 57 | | including information on programs and services available to |
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| 58 | 58 | | disaster victims and funding for and expenditures of disaster |
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| 59 | 59 | | assistance programs; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) include information on disaster response and |
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| 61 | 61 | | recovery activities; and |
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| 62 | 62 | | (3) provide information on obtaining assistance from |
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| 63 | 63 | | the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state agencies, organized |
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| 64 | 64 | | volunteer groups, and any other entities providing disaster |
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| 65 | 65 | | assistance. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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