Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB941 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R3344 MCF-F
2	2	By: LaMantia, Sparks S.B. No. 941
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishment of the disaster identification system for
8	8	a declared state of disaster.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 418.004, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subdivision (3-a) to read as follows:
12	12	(3-a) "Illuminated display" means a device capable of
13	13	displaying a flashing light and a continuous light in either the
14	14	color white or the colors blue, green, red, and yellow.
15	15	SECTION 2. Section 418.015(a), Government Code, is amended
16	16	to read as follows:
17	17	(a) An executive order or proclamation declaring a state of
18	18	disaster:
19	19	(1) activates the disaster recovery and
20	20	rehabilitation aspects of the state emergency management plan
21	21	applicable to the area subject to the declaration; [and]
22	22	(2) authorizes the deployment and use of any forces to
23	23	which the plan applies and the use or distribution of any supplies,
24	24	equipment, and materials or facilities assembled, stockpiled, or
25	25	arranged to be made available under this chapter or other law
26	26	relating to disasters; and
27	27	(3) activates for the area subject to the declaration
28	28	the disaster identification system described by Section 418.0151.
29	29	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
30	30	amended by adding Section 418.0151 to read as follows:
31	31	Sec. 418.0151. DISASTER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM. (a) In an
32	32	area subject to a state of disaster declaration, a person may elect
33	33	to participate in the disaster identification system activated for
34	34	the area. The system must authorize the use of an illuminated
35	35	display to communicate with disaster relief personnel.
36	36	(b) A person participating in the disaster identification
37	37	system shall:
38	38	(1) affix to each individual and domesticated animal
39	39	in the person's household an illuminated display of the following
40	40	colors:
41	41	(A) if the person has a monochromatic illuminated
42	42	display, the color white for each individual and animal; or
43	43	(B) if the person has a multicolored illuminated
44	44	display:
45	45	(i) blue for each individual 18 years of age
46	46	or older;
47	47	(ii) green for each individual with a
48	48	disability;
49	49	(iii) red for each individual younger than
50	50	18 years of age; and
51	51	(iv) yellow for each animal; and
52	52	(2) using the illuminated display, signal to disaster
53	53	relief personnel responding to the area after the disaster with:
54	54	(A) a continuous light on the display of each
55	55	household member who does not need medical assistance; or
56	56	(B) a flashing light on the display of each
57	57	household member who needs medical assistance.
58	58	(c) Disaster relief personnel may patrol the designated
59	59	disaster area by air or ground at night to locate individuals or
60	60	animals with activated illuminated displays.
61	61	SECTION 4. Section 418.042(a), Government Code, is amended
62	62	to read as follows:
63	63	(a) The division shall prepare and keep current a
64	64	comprehensive state emergency management plan. The plan may
65	65	include:
66	66	(1) provisions for prevention and minimization of
67	67	injury and damage caused by disaster;
68	68	(2) provisions for prompt and effective response to
69	69	disaster;
70	70	(3) provisions for emergency relief;
71	71	(4) provisions for energy emergencies;
72	72	(5) identification of areas particularly vulnerable
73	73	to disasters;
74	74	(6) recommendations for zoning, building
75	75	restrictions, and other land-use controls, safety measures for
76	76	securing mobile homes or other nonpermanent or semipermanent
77	77	structures, and other preventive and preparedness measures
78	78	designed to eliminate or reduce disasters or their impact;
79	79	(7) provisions for assistance to local officials in
80	80	designing local emergency management plans;
81	81	(8) authorization and procedures for the erection or
82	82	other construction of temporary works designed to protect against
83	83	or mitigate danger, damage, or loss from flood, fire, or other
84	84	disaster;
85	85	(9) preparation and distribution to the appropriate
86	86	state and local officials of state catalogs of federal, state, and
87	87	private assistance programs;
88	88	(10) organization of manpower and channels of
89	89	assistance;
90	90	(11) coordination of federal, state, and local
91	91	emergency management activities;
92	92	(12) coordination of the state emergency management
93	93	plan with the emergency management plans of the federal government;
94	94	(13) coordination of federal and state energy
95	95	emergency plans;
96	96	(14) provisions for providing information to local
97	97	officials on activation of the Emergency Alert System established
98	98	under 47 C.F.R. Part 11;
99	99	(15) a database of public facilities that may be used
100	100	under Section 418.017 to shelter individuals during a disaster,
101	101	including air-conditioned facilities for shelter during an extreme
102	102	heat disaster and fortified structures for shelter during a wind
103	103	disaster;
104	104	(16) provisions for quickly replenishing the food
105	105	supplies of area food banks or food pantries following a disaster;
106	106	(17) provisions for protecting public health;
107	107	(18) provisions for the use of the disaster
108	108	identification system described by Section 418.0151; and
109	109	(19) [(18)] other necessary matters relating to
110	110	disasters.
111	111	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.