Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2891 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Landgraf H.B. No. 2891
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to establishment of the Texas Emergency Alert Management
7	7	System (TEAMS).
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 411.004, Government Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 411.004. DUTIES AND POWERS OF COMMISSION. The
12	12	commission shall:
13	13	(1) formulate plans and policies for:
14	14	(A) enforcement of state criminal, traffic, and
15	15	safety laws;
16	16	(B) prevention of crime;
17	17	(C) detection and apprehension of persons who
18	18	violate laws; and
19	19	(D) education of citizens of this state in the
20	20	promotion of public safety and the observance of law;
21	21	(2) organize the department and supervise its
22	22	operation;
23	23	(3) adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out
24	24	the department's work;
25	25	(4) maintain records of all proceedings and official
26	26	orders; [and]
27	27	(5) biennially submit a report of its work to the
28	28	governor and legislature, including the commission's and director's
29	29	recommendations; and
30	30	(6) notwithstanding any other law, the department has
31	31	authority to manage emergency alert systems in the state.
32	32	SECTION 2. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by
33	33	adding Subchapter L-1 to read as follows:
34	34	SUBCHAPTER L-1. TEXAS EMERGENCY ALERT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (TEAMS)
35	35	Sec. 411.371. DEFINITION. In this subchapter:
36	36	(1) "alert management system" means the Texas
37	37	Emergency Alert Management System (TEAMS) established under this
38	38	subchapter.
39	39	Sec. 411.372. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TEXAS
40	40	ALERT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (TEAMS). With the cooperation of the Texas
41	41	Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Department of
42	42	Transportation, the Commission on State Emergency Communications,
43	43	the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Health and Human
44	44	Services Commission, the Texas Department of State Health Services,
45	45	the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of
46	46	Texas, the State Office of Risk Management, the office of the
47	47	governor, and other appropriate agencies in this state, the
48	48	department shall identify potential threats of regional or
49	49	statewide significance and develop and implement a plan to alert
50	50	the public by use of the Federal Wireless Emergency Alert System in
51	51	the event that the director, chief of the Texas Division of
52	52	Emergency Management appointed under Section 418.041, and a state
53	53	elected official identify a need to alert Texans to an imminent
54	54	threat to public health or safety.
55	55	Sec. 411.373. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The director is the
56	56	statewide coordinator of the alert management system.
57	57	(b) The director shall adopt rules and issue directives as
58	58	necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert management
59	59	system.
60	60	(c) The director shall prescribe forms to use in requesting
61	61	activation of an alert regarding an emergency of statewide or
62	62	regional significance.
63	63	Sec. 411.374. DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS. (a) The
64	64	department shall recruit public and commercial television and radio
65	65	broadcasters, mobile telephone service providers, private
66	66	commercial entities, state or local governmental entities, the
67	67	public, and other appropriate persons to assist in developing and
68	68	implementing the alert management system.
69	69	(b) The department may enter into agreements with
70	70	participants in the alert management system to provide necessary
71	71	support for the alert management system.
72	72	Sec. 411.375. ACTIVATION. (a) On the request of a state
73	73	elected official and a state agency official or law enforcement
74	74	agency, the department shall investigate the need to activate a
75	75	statewide or regional alert that is not otherwise authorized by
76	76	Chapter 411 or 418, Government Code and notify appropriate
77	77	participants in the alert system as established by rule if
78	78	director, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management
79	79	appointed under Section 418.041, and a state elected official
80	80	identify a need to alert Texans to an imminent statewide or regional
81	81	threat to public health or safety
82	82	Sec. 411.376. STATE AGENCIES. (a) A state agency
83	83	participating in the alert system shall cooperate with the
84	84	department and assist in identifying potential threats and
85	85	developing and implementing the alert management system.
86	86	SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
87	87	of this Act, the public safety director of the Department of Public
88	88	Safety of the State of Texas shall adopt rules and issue directives
89	89	necessary to implement Subchapter L-1, Chapter 411, Government
90	90	Code, as added by this Act.
91	91	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.