| 1 | 1 | | 88R10143 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 1943 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to emergency warning systems operated by municipalities |
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| 8 | 8 | | and counties. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 418.1103 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 418.1103. LOCAL EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "contact information" means an individual's telephone |
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| 14 | 14 | | number, mobile telephone number, physical address, or e-mail |
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| 15 | 15 | | address. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) For purposes of operating an emergency warning system |
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| 17 | 17 | | for residents of a political subdivision, the political subdivision |
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| 18 | 18 | | may contract with the department for disclosure by the department |
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| 19 | 19 | | of the contact information of a political subdivision resident who |
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| 20 | 20 | | consents to the disclosure for the purpose of participating in the |
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| 21 | 21 | | system. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) A participant in an emergency warning system described |
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| 23 | 23 | | by Subsection (b) may request removal from the system by submitting |
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| 24 | 24 | | a written request, including a text message from a cellular |
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| 25 | 25 | | telephone or other wireless communication device, for removal to |
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| 26 | 26 | | the applicable political subdivision. On receipt of the request, |
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| 27 | 27 | | the applicable political subdivision shall remove the |
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| 28 | 28 | | participant's contact information from the system and cease issuing |
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| 29 | 29 | | emergency warnings to the former participant through the system. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) A participant in an emergency warning system described |
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| 31 | 31 | | by Subsection (b) may elect to receive warning alerts in both |
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| 32 | 32 | | English and Spanish. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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| 34 | 34 | | is amended by adding Section 521.015 to read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 521.015. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL EMERGENCY |
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| 36 | 36 | | WARNING SYSTEM. (a) In this section, "contact information" has the |
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| 37 | 37 | | meaning assigned by Section 418.1103, Government Code. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) When a person applies for an original or renewal |
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| 39 | 39 | | driver's license under this chapter, the person may consent to: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) participate in an emergency warning system |
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| 41 | 41 | | described by Section 418.1103, Government Code; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) the disclosure by the department of the person's |
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| 43 | 43 | | contact information to the municipality or county, or both, in |
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| 44 | 44 | | which the person resides for the purpose of participating in an |
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| 45 | 45 | | emergency warning system operated by the municipality or county. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (c) The department shall include space on each application |
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| 47 | 47 | | for an original or renewal driver's license that allows a person |
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| 48 | 48 | | applying for an original or renewal driver's license to indicate |
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| 49 | 49 | | whether the person consents to participate in an emergency warning |
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| 50 | 50 | | system operated by the municipality or county, or both, in which the |
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| 51 | 51 | | person resides and consents to disclosure by the department of the |
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| 52 | 52 | | person's contact information to the municipality or county or both. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (d) The department shall disclose a person's contact |
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| 54 | 54 | | information to a municipality or county for participation in an |
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| 55 | 55 | | emergency warning system if: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) the person indicates the person's consent to |
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| 57 | 57 | | participate in an emergency warning system and to the disclosure of |
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| 58 | 58 | | the person's contact information under Subsection (b); and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (2) the applicable municipality or county: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (A) operates an emergency warning system; and |
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| 61 | 61 | | (B) has contracted with the department for the |
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| 62 | 62 | | disclosure of the person's contact information under Section |
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| 63 | 63 | | 418.1103, Government Code. |
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| 64 | 64 | | (e) Contact information obtained by a municipality or |
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| 65 | 65 | | county under this section may not be used or disclosed for any |
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| 66 | 66 | | purpose other than enrolling a person in an emergency warning |
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| 67 | 67 | | system and issuing warnings to the person through the system. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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