Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4479 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R14738 AAF-D
2	2	By: Walle H.B. No. 4479
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a grant program and task force
8	8	relating to disaster issues affecting persons who are elderly and
9	9	persons with disabilities.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subchapter F-1 to read as follows:
13	13	SUBCHAPTER F-1. DISASTER ISSUES AFFECTING PERSONS WHO ARE ELDERLY
14	14	AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
15	15	Sec. 418.131. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	16	(1) "Disability" means, with respect to an individual,
17	17	a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits at least
18	18	one major life activity of that individual.
19	19	(2) "Task force" means the task force established
20	20	under Section 418.132.
21	21	Sec. 418.132. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The task force on
22	22	disaster issues affecting persons who are elderly and persons with
23	23	disabilities is established to:
24	24	(1) administer the grant program under Section
25	25	418.134; and
26	26	(2) study methods to more effectively:
27	27	(A) assist persons who are elderly and persons
28	28	with disabilities during a disaster or emergency evacuation; and
29	29	(B) accommodate persons who are elderly and
30	30	persons with disabilities in emergency shelters.
31	31	Sec. 418.133. COMPOSITION. (a) The task force is composed
32	32	of 11 members appointed by the governor, including:
33	33	(1) three members who are first responders;
34	34	(2) one member who represents municipalities;
35	35	(3) one member who represents counties; and
36	36	(4) six members who represent persons with
37	37	disabilities, including one who represents persons who are blind,
38	38	one who represents persons who are deaf, and one selected from a
39	39	list provided by ADAPT of Texas.
40	40	(b) A majority of the members appointed to the task force
41	41	must be persons with disabilities or guardians of children with
42	42	disabilities.
43	43	(c) Members serve staggered six-year terms with the terms of
44	44	three or four members expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered
45	45	year.
46	46	(d) The governor shall designate one member of the task
47	47	force to serve as the presiding officer of the task force. The
48	48	presiding officer serves in that capacity at the pleasure of the
49	49	governor.
50	50	Sec. 418.134. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) From funds appropriated
51	51	for the purpose and gifts, grants, and donations accepted for the
52	52	purpose, the division shall award grants as provided by this
53	53	subchapter to provide financial support for:
54	54	(1) activities that include persons who are elderly
55	55	and persons with disabilities in the preparation for, response to,
56	56	recovery from, and mitigation of disasters;
57	57	(2) strategies and procedures that implement
58	58	community-level practices that decrease deaths, injuries, and harm
59	59	resulting from disasters to persons who are elderly and persons
60	60	with disabilities;
61	61	(3) the development of state and local policies that
62	62	reinforce and promote the inclusion of persons who are elderly and
63	63	persons with disabilities in community preparation for disasters;
64	64	and
65	65	(4) research related to disasters and persons who are
66	66	elderly and persons with disabilities.
67	67	(b) The task force shall review grant proposals and
68	68	recommend grant recipients to the division. The division shall
69	69	award grants based on those recommendations.
70	70	(c) The division shall establish procedures to administer
71	71	the grant program, including a procedure for the submission of a
72	72	proposal.
73	73	(d) The division shall enter into a contract with each grant
74	74	recipient that includes performance requirements. The division
75	75	shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract. The contract
76	76	must authorize the division to recoup grant money from a grant
77	77	recipient for failure of the grant recipient to comply with the
78	78	terms of the contract.
79	79	(e) The division may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
80	80	donations from any source for the purpose of awarding grants under
81	81	this section.
82	82	Sec. 418.135. TASK FORCE STUDY. (a) The task force shall
83	83	study methods to more effectively accommodate persons who are
84	84	elderly and persons with disabilities during a disaster or
85	85	emergency evacuation. The study must examine and make
86	86	recommendations on:
87	87	(1) the provision of informational materials to
88	88	persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities before a
89	89	disaster occurs on disaster or emergency evacuation;
90	90	(2) the accessibility of transportation and medical
91	91	supplies to persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities
92	92	during a disaster;
93	93	(3) different solutions for accommodating persons who
94	94	are elderly and persons with disabilities during a disaster or
95	95	emergency evacuation of a rural or urban area;
96	96	(4) the ability to effectively communicate with
97	97	persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities during a
98	98	disaster; and
99	99	(5) the availability of volunteers to assist persons
100	100	who are elderly and persons with disabilities during an emergency
101	101	evacuation.
102	102	(b) The task force shall develop and submit a written report
103	103	of the study and recommendations developed by the task force to the
104	104	governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
105	105	representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than
106	106	December 1, 2020.
107	107	(c) This section expires June 1, 2021.
108	108	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.