Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB13 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		89R19472 JCG-D
2		-	By: King, Guillen, Hunter, Moody, Bonnen, H.B. No. 13
3		-	et al.
4		-
5		-
	2	+	By: King H.B. No. 13
	3	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 13:
	4	+	By: Geren C.S.H.B. No. 13
6	5
7	6
8	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
9	8		AN ACT
10	9		relating to creating the Texas Interoperability Council and a grant
11	10		program administered by the council.
12	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	12		SECTION 1. Chapter 421, Government Code, is amended by
14	13		adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
15	14		SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS INTEROPERABILITY COUNCIL; GRANT PROGRAM
16	15		Sec. 421.121. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	16		(1) "Council" means the Texas Interoperability
18	17		Council established under this subchapter.
19	18		(2) "Division" means Texas Division of Emergency
20	19		Management.
21	20		(3) "Local government" means a municipality, county,
22	21		special district or authority, or any other political subdivision
23	22		of this state.
24	23		Sec. 421.122. TEXAS INTEROPERABILITY COUNCIL. (a) The
25	24		Texas Interoperability Council is established to:
26	25		(1) develop and coordinate the implementation of a
27	26		statewide strategic plan for governing the interoperability of
28	27		emergency communication equipment and infrastructure in this
29	28		state, develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert
30	29		systems, and incorporate as necessary communication technologies
31	30		into the emergency communications network of this state; and
32	31		(2) administer a grant program to assist local
33	32		governments with acquiring emergency communication equipment that
34	33		is interoperable with other emergency communication equipment and
35	34		infrastructure in this state and with constructing additional
36	35		emergency communication infrastructure to ensure that the first
37	36		responders of this state have access to equipment and
38	37		infrastructure that is interoperable to the extent necessary to
39	38		effectively communicate during an emergency.
40	39		(b) The council is composed of the chief of the division and
41	40		six members appointed as follows:
42	41		(1) two members appointed by the governor;
43	42		(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
44	43		and
45	44		(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house
46	45		of representatives.
47	46		(c) Appointed council members serve staggered terms of six
48	47		years, with the terms of two members expiring September 1 of each
49	48		odd-numbered year.
50	49		(d) A majority of the voting members of the council
51	50		constitutes a quorum to transact business. If a quorum is present,
52	51		the council may act on any matter within the council's jurisdiction
53	52		by a majority vote.
54	53		(e) The chief of the division serves as the council's
55	54		presiding officer.
56	55		Sec. 421.123. MEETINGS. The council shall meet as often as
57	56		necessary at the call of the presiding officer to perform the
58	57		council's duties.
59	58		Sec. 421.124. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW TO COUNCIL. (a)
60	59		Chapters 551 and 2001 do not apply to the council.
61	60		(b) Information held by the council is excepted from
62	61		required public disclosure under Chapter 552.
63	62		Sec. 421.125. STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The council, in
64	63		collaboration with any state agency or private entity as the
65	64		council determines appropriate, shall develop a statewide
66	65		strategic plan to govern the interoperability of emergency
67	66		communication equipment and infrastructure in this state.
68	67		(b) The strategic plan must include:
69	68		(1) a plan for the construction of communication
70	69		infrastructure necessary to ensure effective emergency
71	70		communications among first responders in this state, including the
72	71		acquisition of land as necessary for construction;
73	72		(2) training programs necessary to ensure that state
74	73		and local governments have the skills and resources necessary to
75	74		access and effectively use the emergency communication equipment
76	75		and infrastructure available in this state;
77	76		(3) a plan to ensure that first responders throughout
78	77		this state are equipped with emergency communication equipment that
79	78		is interoperable with other emergency communication equipment in
80	79		this state; and
81	80		(4) a plan to ensure that any new emergency
82	81		communication equipment and infrastructure acquired or constructed
83	82		under the plan can be adapted to or integrated with any existing
84	83		emergency communication equipment and infrastructure.
85	84		(c) The council shall consider including in the strategic
86	85		plan under Subsection (b):
87	86		(1) the use of outdoor warning sirens;
88	87		(2) implementing an emergency alert system to alert
89	88		the public of fire and any related evacuation recommendations or
90	89		orders that has the capability of alerting persons in an affected
91	90		geographic area through messages sent to those persons'
92	91		communication devices; and
93	92		(3) the use of broadband service as part of the
94	93		emergency communications network of this state.
95	94		Sec. 421.126. IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN; NETWORK
96	95		COORDINATION. The council, in collaboration with state agencies as
97	96		needed, shall implement the statewide strategic plan developed
98	97		under Section 421.125 and coordinate the emergency communications
99	98		network of this state to ensure interoperability for first
100	99		responders.
101	100		Sec. 421.127. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The council shall
102	101		establish a grant program to provide grants to local governments
103	102		for the purchase of emergency communication equipment and
104	103		infrastructure, the construction of emergency communication
105	104		infrastructure, and the expenses of training employees of the local
106	105		government for the effective use of the equipment during an
107	106		emergency.
108	107		(b) To be eligible for a grant under the grant program, an
109	108		applicant must be a local government, submit a proposal to the
110	109		council, and comply with the rules established by the council for
111	110		the administration of the grant program.
112	111		(c) The council shall establish procedures to administer
113	112		the grant program, including:
114	113		(1) eligibility criteria for a grant recipient;
115	114		(2) guidelines relating to grant amounts; and
116	115		(3) procedures for submitting and evaluating
117	116		proposals.
118	117		(d) The council shall enter into a contract that includes
119	118		performance requirements with each grant recipient. The council
120	119		shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract.
121	120		(e) The council may require as a condition of a grant
122	121		awarded under this section that:
123	122		(1) the officers or employees of the recipient
124	123		successfully complete one or more training programs, as determined
125	124		by the council, which may include incident command system training;
126	125		and
127	126		(2) the recipient adopt standardized procedures for
128	127		incident command or management.
129	128		(f) The council may delegate to a state agency the
130	129		administration of the grant program.
131	130		Sec. 421.128. USES OF GRANT MONEY. Money awarded under the
132	131		grant program may be used only to:
133	132		(1) purchase emergency communication equipment,
134	133		including radios, spare parts, and accessories, for use by first
135	134		responders that is interoperable with the other emergency
136	135		communication equipment and infrastructure in this state or enables
137	136		interoperability;
138	137		(2) construct emergency communication infrastructure,
139	138		including radio towers, that is interoperable with the other
140	139		emergency communication equipment and infrastructure in this state
141	140		or enables interoperability, including the acquisition of land
142	141		necessary for the construction;
143	142		(3) cover the cost of adapting existing emergency
144	143		communication equipment or infrastructure to, or otherwise
145	144		integrating the equipment or infrastructure with, new emergency
146	145		communication equipment purchased or infrastructure constructed;
147	146		(4) cover the operational or maintenance cost of the
148	147		equipment or infrastructure described by Subdivision (1), (2), or
149	148		(3); or
150	149		(5) attend or provide the training to first responders
151	150		on the effective use of the equipment and infrastructure described
152	151		by Subdivisions (1), (2), and (3).
153	152		Sec. 421.129. GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. The council may use
154	153		any available funds to implement the grant program.
155	154		Sec. 421.130. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The council
156	155		may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source, including
157	156		private and nonprofit organizations, for the purpose of
158	157		implementing this subchapter.
159	158		Sec. 421.131. RULES. The division may adopt rules to
160	159		administer this subchapter.
161	160		SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
162	161		of this Act, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
163	162		house of representatives shall appoint members to the Texas
164	163		Interoperability Council, as required by Section 421.122,
165	164		Government Code, as added by this Act, in the manner required by
166	165		that section, as follows:
167	166		(1) the governor shall appoint two council members to
168	167		a term expiring September 1, 2027;
169	168		(2) the lieutenant governor shall appoint two council
170	169		members to a term expiring September 1, 2029; and
171	170		(3) the speaker of the house of representatives shall
172	171		appoint two council members to a term expiring September 1, 2031.
173	172		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.