Bill Text: TX HB149 | 2025 | 89th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the governor's review of purchases by political subdivisions of public safety radio communication systems.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 4-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2025-08-27 - Referred to Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select [HB149 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB149-Engrossed.html
| By: Louderback, Leo Wilson, Lopez of Cameron, | H.B. No. 149 | |
| Plesa, Lalani | ||
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| relating to the governor's review of purchases by political | ||
| subdivisions of public safety radio communication systems. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 271, Local Government | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 271.909 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 271.909. GOVERNOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASES OF PUBLIC | ||
| SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS REQUIRED. (a) In this section, | ||
| "public safety radio communication system" means a radio | ||
| communication system, including infrastructure, equipment, | ||
| software, and other similar products as the governor determines | ||
| necessary, that is used by a governmental entity in public safety | ||
| operations, such as law enforcement, fire protection, emergency | ||
| medical services, and disaster response and recovery. | ||
| (b) The governor by rule shall establish standards for | ||
| determining whether the purchase and use of a public safety radio | ||
| communication system by a political subdivision would materially | ||
| impair interoperability among public safety radio communication | ||
| systems used by other governmental entities in the region of the | ||
| political subdivision proposing the purchase. The standards must: | ||
| (1) include minimum technical specifications that the | ||
| system must meet; | ||
| (2) be based on the strategic plan designed and | ||
| implemented under Section 421.096(1), Government Code; and | ||
| (3) contain limitations on the use of burdensome | ||
| procedures to achieve interoperability among systems. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision may not purchase a public safety | ||
| radio communication system unless the governor reviews and approves | ||
| the proposed purchase under this section. | ||
| (d) In the form and manner prescribed by the governor by | ||
| rule, a political subdivision may request that the governor conduct | ||
| a review of a proposed purchase of a public safety radio | ||
| communication system under this section. | ||
| (e) The governor shall conduct a review requested under | ||
| Subsection (d) and, not later than the 90th day after the date on | ||
| which the governor received the request, shall in writing: | ||
| (1) approve the request; | ||
| (2) summarily deny the request; or | ||
| (3) all of the following: | ||
| (A) conditionally deny the request; | ||
| (B) specify the deficient standards and other | ||
| criteria on which the denial was based; and | ||
| (C) provide corrective measures by which the | ||
| political subdivision may alter the proposal in order to obtain | ||
| approval under this section. | ||
| (f) The governor shall approve a proposed purchase reviewed | ||
| under this section only if the proposed purchase and use of the | ||
| system does not materially impair the interoperability among public | ||
| safety radio communication systems used by other governmental | ||
| entities in the region of the political subdivision proposing the | ||
| purchase, in accordance with the standards established under | ||
| Subsection (b). The governor shall deny as provided by Subsection | ||
| (e)(2) or (3) a proposed purchase reviewed under this section if the | ||
| proposed purchase and use of the public safety radio communication | ||
| system materially impairs the interoperability among public safety | ||
| radio communication systems used by other governmental entities in | ||
| the region of the political subdivision proposing the purchase. | ||
| (g) After a summary denial under Subsection (e)(2), a | ||
| political subdivision may request the governor to, and if requested | ||
| the governor shall, specify in writing the deficient standards and | ||
| provide corrective measures, as described by Subsections (e)(3)(B) | ||
| and (C). | ||
| (h) The governor shall by rule provide procedures for | ||
| appealing a denial under Subsection (e). | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than August 1, 2026, the governor shall | ||
| adopt the rules required by Section 271.909, Local Government Code, | ||
| as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 271.909, Local Government Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, applies only to the purchase of a public safety radio | ||
| communication system by a political subdivision that occurs on or | ||
| after August 1, 2026. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
