Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4393 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Martinez Fischer H.B. No. 4393
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to disaster relief and recovery.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Texas Rescue Plan.
9	9	SECTION 2. Chapter 201, Labor Code, is amended by adding
10	10	Subchapter I to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER I. UNEMPLOYMENT DURING STATE OF DISASTER
12	12	Sec. 201.201 REQUIREMENTS DURING STATE OF DISASTER. (a)
13	13	During a disaster declared by the governor under Chapter 418,
14	14	Government Code, or by the president of the United States, or a
15	15	public health disaster declared under Chapter 81, Health and Safety
16	16	Code, the commission shall waive the following requirements:
17	17	(1) work requirements that require a recipient of
18	18	unemployment compensation benefits to search for work; and
19	19	(2) waiting week requirements.
20	20	SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the funds received
21	21	by the State of Texas from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,
22	22	Public Law 117-2, the sum of $215 million to the Texas Workforce
23	23	Commission to supplement benefits under the Federal Pandemic
24	24	Unemployment Compensation program by an additional $100 per week
25	25	for eligible beneficiaries through September 6, 2021.
26	26	SECTION 4. Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended by adding
27	27	Section 302.00436 to read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 302.00436. SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM DURING A
29	29	STATE OF DISASTER. (a) During a disaster declared by the governor
30	30	under Chapter 418, Government Code, or by the president of the
31	31	United States, or a public health disaster declared under Chapter
32	32	81, Health and Safety Code, the commission shall waive:
33	33	(1) requirements that require a parent to work or
34	34	attend a job training or educational program in order to be eligible
35	35	for the subsidy; and
36	36	(2) 60 day reapplication waiting periods if the
37	37	parent's eligibility or the child's enrollment is terminated.
38	38	SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the funds received
39	39	by the State of Texas from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,
40	40	Public Law 117-2, the sum of $200 million to the Texas Workforce
41	41	Commission to be used to supplement child-care subsidies for
42	42	COVID-19 essential workers as defined by Executive Order GA 14,
43	43	issued March 31, 2020.
44	44	SECTION 6. Section 151.3565, Tax Code, is amended to read as
45	45	follows:
46	46	Sec. 151.3565. EMERGENCY PREPARATION SUPPLIES FOR LIMITED
47	47	PERIOD. (a) The sale of an emergency preparation item is exempted
48	48	from the taxes imposed by this chapter if the sale takes place
49	49	during a period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the Saturday before the
50	50	last Monday in April and ending at 12 midnight on the last Monday in
51	51	April.
52	52	(b) For purposes of this section, "emergency preparation
53	53	item" means:
54	54	(1) a portable generator used to provide light or
55	55	communications or to preserve perishable food in the event of a
56	56	power outage, the sales price of which is less than $3,000;
57	57	(2) an item listed in this subdivision, the sales
58	58	price of which is less than $300:
59	59	(A) a storm protection device manufactured,
60	60	rated, and marketed specifically to prevent damage to a glazed or
61	61	non-glazed opening during a storm; or
62	62	(B) an emergency or rescue ladder; or
63	63	(3) an item listed in this subdivision, the sales
64	64	price of which is less than $75:
65	65	(A) a reusable or artificial ice product;
66	66	(B) a portable, self-powered light source;
67	67	(C) a gasoline or diesel fuel container;
68	68	(D) a AAA cell, AA cell, C cell, D cell, 6 volt,
69	69	or 9 volt battery, or a package containing more than one battery,
70	70	other than an automobile or boat battery;
71	71	(E) a nonelectric cooler or ice chest for food
72	72	storage;
73	73	(F) a tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof
74	74	sheeting;
75	75	(G) a ground anchor system or tie-down kit;
76	76	(H) a mobile telephone battery or battery
77	77	charger;
78	78	(I) a portable self-powered radio, including a
79	79	two-way radio or weatherband radio;
80	80	(J) a fire extinguisher, smoke detector, or
81	81	carbon monoxide detector;
82	82	(K) a hatchet or axe;
83	83	(L) a self-contained first aid kit[; or]
84	84	(M) a nonelectric can opener[.];
85	85	(N) disinfectant cleaning supplies; or
86	86	(O) personal protective equipment.
87	87	SECTION 7. In addition to other amounts appropriated to the
88	88	Public Utilities Commission of Texas for the state fiscal biennium
89	89	beginning September 1, 2021, there is appropriated out of the funds
90	90	received by the State of Texas from the American Rescue Plan Act of
91	91	2021, Public Law 117-2, the sum of $1 billion to the Public
92	92	Utilities Commission to establish a winter storm relief program to
93	93	provide low-income individuals with funds for to pay for home
94	94	repairs, winterization, exorbitant electricity bills, and other
95	95	costs incurred as a result of Winter Storm Uri. The commission
96	96	shall by rule establish the program, including the allocation
97	97	formula, eligibility requirements, the manner in which an
98	98	individual may apply for assistance, and procedures for awarding
99	99	assistance.
100	100	SECTION 8. Chapter 121, Health and Safety Code, is amended
101	101	by adding Section 121.0067 to read as follows:
102	102	Sec. 121.0067 GRANTS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE MONITORING.
103	103	(a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall
104	104	administer a program under which funds may be granted to counties,
105	105	municipalities, public health districts, regional advisory
106	106	councils, and other political subdivisions for use by the counties,
107	107	municipalities, public health districts, regional advisory
108	108	councils, and other political subdivisions to provide or pay for
109	109	infectious disease monitoring.
110	110	(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing:
111	111	(1) the allocation formula for grants awarded under
112	112	this section;
113	113	(2) the manner in which a municipality, county, public
114	114	health district, regional advisory councils, or other political
115	115	subdivision applies for a grant;
116	116	(3) the procedures for awarding grants; and
117	117	(4) the minimum infectious disease monitoring
118	118	services to be provided under the grant and other standards
119	119	applicable to the services to be provided under the grant.
120	120	SECTION 9. Section 418.047, Texas Government Code, is
121	121	amended by adding subsection (e) to read as follows:
122	122	Sec. 418.047. COMMUNICATIONS. (a) In cooperation with
123	123	other state agencies, the division shall ascertain what means exist
124	124	for rapid and efficient communication in times of disaster.
125	125	(a-1) The division shall coordinate with the Texas
126	126	Department of Transportation to establish additional methods for
127	127	disseminating emergency public service messages to motorists,
128	128	including:
129	129	(1) severe weather advisories;
130	130	(2) AMBER alerts under Subchapter L, Chapter 411; and
131	131	(3) silver alerts under Subchapter M, Chapter 411.
132	132	(b) The division shall consider the desirability of
133	133	supplementing the communication resources or integrating them into
134	134	a state or state-federal telecommunication or other communication
135	135	system or network.
136	136	(c) In studying the character and feasibility of any system
137	137	or its parts, the division shall evaluate the possibility of its
138	138	multipurpose use for general state and local governmental purposes.
139	139	(d) The division shall make recommendations to the governor
140	140	as appropriate.
141	141	(e) If federal funds are allocated to the state for the
142	142	purpose of providing disaster relief, the division shall develop an
143	143	Internet website to house information on how the federal funds have
144	144	been allocated by the governor.
145	145	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it
146	146	receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
147	147	house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
148	148	If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
149	149	effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021.