87R2688 SCL-D
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 958
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Leilah Hernandez
Act."
SECTION 2. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter L-1 to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER L-1. TEXAS ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERT SYSTEM
Sec. 411.371. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "alert
system" means the Texas Active Shooter Alert System established
under this subchapter.
Sec. 411.372. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ALERT
SYSTEM. With the cooperation of the Texas Department of
Transportation, the office of the governor, and other appropriate
law enforcement agencies in this state, the department shall
develop and implement an alert system to be activated on report of
an active shooter.
Sec. 411.373. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The director is the
statewide coordinator of the alert system.
(b) The director shall adopt rules and issue directives as
necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert system. The
rules and directives must include instructions on the procedures
for activating and deactivating the alert system.
(c) The director shall prescribe forms for local law
enforcement agencies to use in requesting activation of the alert
system.
Sec. 411.374. DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS. (a) The
department shall recruit public and commercial television and radio
broadcasters, mobile telephone service providers, private
commercial entities, state or local governmental entities, the
public, and other appropriate persons to assist in developing and
implementing the alert system.
(b) The department may enter into agreements with
participants in the alert system to provide necessary support for
the alert system.
Sec. 411.375. ACTIVATION. (a) On the request of a local law
enforcement agency regarding an active shooter, the department
shall activate the alert system in a 50-mile radius of the active
shooter's location and notify appropriate participants in the alert
system as established by rule if the local law enforcement agency:
(1) believes an active shooter is in the agency's
jurisdiction;
(2) determines an active shooter alert would assist
individuals near the active shooter's location;
(3) verifies the active shooter situation through a
preliminary investigation; and
(4) provides the department with the active shooter's
last known location and any identifiable information for the active
shooter.
(b) The department may modify the criteria described by
Subsection (a) as necessary for the proper implementation of the
alert system.
Sec. 411.376. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. Before
requesting activation of the alert system, a local law enforcement
agency must verify that the criteria described by Section
411.375(a) have been satisfied. On verification of the applicable
criteria, the local law enforcement agency may immediately contact
the department to request activation and supply the necessary
information on forms prescribed by the director.
Sec. 411.377. STATE AGENCIES. (a) A state agency
participating in the alert system shall:
(1) cooperate with the department and assist in
developing and implementing the alert system; and
(2) establish a plan for providing relevant
information to its officers, investigators, or employees, as
appropriate, on activation of the alert system.
(b) In addition to its duties as a state agency under
Subsection (a), the Texas Department of Transportation shall
establish a plan for providing relevant information to the public
within 50 miles of an active shooter for which an alert has been
issued through an existing system of dynamic message signs located
across the state.
Sec. 411.378. TERMINATION. The director shall terminate
any activation of the alert system for a particular active shooter
if:
(1) the active shooter situation is resolved; or
(2) the director determines the alert system is no
longer an effective tool for providing relevant information to the
public about the active shooter.
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the public safety director of the Department of Public
Safety of the State of Texas shall adopt rules and issue directives
necessary to implement Subchapter L-1, Chapter 411, Government
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.