| 1 | 1 | | By: Hancock S.B. No. 1858 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the next generation 9-1-1 service fund. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 771.0713, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (f) and (g) and adding |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subsections (c-1), (c-2), (c-3) and (c-4) to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (b) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by |
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| 12 | 12 | | federal or state law, the comptroller shall transfer to the credit |
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| 13 | 13 | | of the next generation 9-1-1 service fund any amount available (i) |
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| 14 | 14 | | from federal money provided to this state from the Coronavirus |
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| 15 | 15 | | State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) or from any |
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| 17 | 17 | | other federal governmental source, or (ii) from any state |
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| 18 | 18 | | governmental source, for purposes of this chapter. The comptroller |
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| 19 | 19 | | shall transfer the money as soon as practicable following the |
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| 20 | 20 | | receipt by this state of a sufficient amount of federal money for |
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| 21 | 21 | | the transfer or as soon as practicable after the effective date of |
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| 22 | 22 | | the most recent appropriation of state funds by the legislature for |
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| 23 | 23 | | this purpose. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) Money deposited to the credit of the next generation |
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| 25 | 25 | | 9-1-1 service fund may be used only for the purpose of supporting |
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| 26 | 26 | | the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1 |
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| 27 | 27 | | service, including the costs of equipment, operations, and |
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| 28 | 28 | | administration. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c-1) Money in the fund from federal sources may be |
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| 30 | 30 | | distributed to only the commission and emergency communication |
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| 31 | 31 | | districts and must be used in a manner the complies with federal |
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| 32 | 32 | | law. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c-2) For any money in the fund resulting from the |
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| 34 | 34 | | appropriation of state funds, except as provided by Subsection |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c-3), after the money is deposited into the fund, the commission |
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| 36 | 36 | | shall distribute to each emergency communication district that does |
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| 37 | 37 | | not participate in the state system a portion of the money that |
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| 38 | 38 | | bears the same proportion that the population of the area served by |
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| 39 | 39 | | the district bears to the population of the state. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c-3) For each emergency communication district created |
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| 41 | 41 | | under Chapter 772 that is entitled to a portion of the money |
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| 42 | 42 | | distributed under Subsection (c-2), the commission shall: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) reduce the portion to which that district is |
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| 44 | 44 | | entitled by an amount equal to [nine percent] of that portion and |
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| 45 | 45 | | distribute that amount in equal shares to all the emergency |
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| 46 | 46 | | communication districts created under Chapter 772; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) distribute to that district the remainder of the |
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| 48 | 48 | | portion to which the district is entitled under Subsection (c-2) |
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| 49 | 49 | | that is not distributed under Subdivision (1). |
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| 50 | 50 | | (c-4) The remaining money in the fund appropriated from |
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| 51 | 51 | | state funds that is not otherwise distributed under Subsection |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c-2) or (c-3) shall be deposited to the 9-1-1 services fee account. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (f) All money in the fund from the Coronavirus State and |
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| 54 | 54 | | Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the American |
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| 55 | 55 | | Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) shall be distributed in |
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| 56 | 56 | | accordance with this section not later than [December 31, 2022] |
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| 57 | 57 | | August 31, 2024, and all money distributed under this section from |
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| 58 | 58 | | the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section |
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| 59 | 59 | | 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) |
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| 60 | 60 | | shall be spent not later than [December 31, 2024]December 31, 2026, |
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| 61 | 61 | | for the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1 |
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| 62 | 62 | | service. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (g) This section expires [September 1, 2025]December 31, |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2026. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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