Bill Text: TX HB103 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB103 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB103-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB103 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB103-Introduced.html
| 87R2688 SCL-D | ||
| By: Landgraf | H.B. No. 103 | |
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| relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Leilah Hernandez | ||
| Act." | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter L-1 to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER L-1. TEXAS ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERT SYSTEM | ||
| Sec. 411.371. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "alert | ||
| system" means the Texas Active Shooter Alert System established | ||
| under this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 411.372. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ALERT | ||
| SYSTEM. With the cooperation of the Texas Department of | ||
| Transportation, the office of the governor, and other appropriate | ||
| law enforcement agencies in this state, the department shall | ||
| develop and implement an alert system to be activated on report of | ||
| an active shooter. | ||
| Sec. 411.373. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The director is the | ||
| statewide coordinator of the alert system. | ||
| (b) The director shall adopt rules and issue directives as | ||
| necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert system. The | ||
| rules and directives must include instructions on the procedures | ||
| for activating and deactivating the alert system. | ||
| (c) The director shall prescribe forms for local law | ||
| enforcement agencies to use in requesting activation of the alert | ||
| system. | ||
| Sec. 411.374. DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS. (a) The | ||
| department shall recruit public and commercial television and radio | ||
| broadcasters, mobile telephone service providers, private | ||
| commercial entities, state or local governmental entities, the | ||
| public, and other appropriate persons to assist in developing and | ||
| implementing the alert system. | ||
| (b) The department may enter into agreements with | ||
| participants in the alert system to provide necessary support for | ||
| the alert system. | ||
| Sec. 411.375. ACTIVATION. (a) On the request of a local law | ||
| enforcement agency regarding an active shooter, the department | ||
| shall activate the alert system in a 50-mile radius of the active | ||
| shooter's location and notify appropriate participants in the alert | ||
| system as established by rule if the local law enforcement agency: | ||
| (1) believes an active shooter is in the agency's | ||
| jurisdiction; | ||
| (2) determines an active shooter alert would assist | ||
| individuals near the active shooter's location; | ||
| (3) verifies the active shooter situation through a | ||
| preliminary investigation; and | ||
| (4) provides the department with the active shooter's | ||
| last known location and any identifiable information for the active | ||
| shooter. | ||
| (b) The department may modify the criteria described by | ||
| Subsection (a) as necessary for the proper implementation of the | ||
| alert system. | ||
| Sec. 411.376. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. Before | ||
| requesting activation of the alert system, a local law enforcement | ||
| agency must verify that the criteria described by Section | ||
| 411.375(a) have been satisfied. On verification of the applicable | ||
| criteria, the local law enforcement agency may immediately contact | ||
| the department to request activation and supply the necessary | ||
| information on forms prescribed by the director. | ||
| Sec. 411.377. STATE AGENCIES. (a) A state agency | ||
| participating in the alert system shall: | ||
| (1) cooperate with the department and assist in | ||
| developing and implementing the alert system; and | ||
| (2) establish a plan for providing relevant | ||
| information to its officers, investigators, or employees, as | ||
| appropriate, on activation of the alert system. | ||
| (b) In addition to its duties as a state agency under | ||
| Subsection (a), the Texas Department of Transportation shall | ||
| establish a plan for providing relevant information to the public | ||
| within 50 miles of an active shooter for which an alert has been | ||
| issued through an existing system of dynamic message signs located | ||
| across the state. | ||
| Sec. 411.378. TERMINATION. The director shall terminate | ||
| any activation of the alert system for a particular active shooter | ||
| if: | ||
| (1) the active shooter situation is resolved; or | ||
| (2) the director determines the alert system is no | ||
| longer an effective tool for providing relevant information to the | ||
| public about the active shooter. | ||
| SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the public safety director of the Department of Public | ||
| Safety of the State of Texas shall adopt rules and issue directives | ||
| necessary to implement Subchapter L-1, Chapter 411, Government | ||
| Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
