89R21030 MCK-D
By: Fairly, King, Smithee H.B. No. 2063
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2063:
By: Money C.S.H.B. No. 2063
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to creating a database of the firefighting equipment in
the state available for use in responding to wildfires.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 88, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 88.1255 to read as follows:
Sec. 88.1255. STATEWIDE DATABASE OF FIREFIGHTING
EQUIPMENT. (a) In this section, "fire department" means:
(1) a volunteer fire department; or
(2) a department of a municipality, county, or special
district or authority that provides firefighting services.
(b) The Texas Forest Service shall create and maintain a
comprehensive database that shows in real time the statewide
inventory of firefighting equipment that is available for use in
responding to wildfires.
(c) The database must:
(1) include a description of the type of firefighting
equipment each fire department in the state has available for use in
responding to wildfires;
(2) include contact information for the fire
department that has the equipment;
(3) be searchable by location and equipment type; and
(4) be accessible by all fire departments in the state
and allow each fire department to update the information in the
database regarding the equipment the fire department has available.
(d) The Texas Forest Service shall assist a fire department
that provides equipment information to the database in updating the
database annually or as soon as practicable after any change in the
availability of the department's firefighting equipment. The Texas
Forest Service shall use an electronic notification system to
remind fire departments, at least once each calendar year, to
update the availability of the department's firefighting
equipment.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.