Bill Text: TX HB2257 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the procurement and use of an emergency notification system by public service providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-05-11 - Left pending in committee [HB2257 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2257-Engrossed.html
By: Phillips | H.B. No. 2257 |
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relating to the procurement and use of an emergency notification | ||
system by public service providers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 418.192 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.192. COMMUNICATIONS BY PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS | ||
DURING DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Emergency" means a temporary, sudden, and | ||
unforeseen occurrence that requires action by a public service | ||
provider to correct the occurrence, inform others of the | ||
occurrence, protect lives or property, or temporarily reduce demand | ||
for or allocate supply of the provider's products or services to | ||
ensure public safety or preserve the integrity of service delivery | ||
mechanisms. | ||
(2) "Public service provider" means any person or | ||
entity that provides essential products or services to the public | ||
that are regulated under the Natural Resources Code, Utilities | ||
Code, or Water Code, including: | ||
(A) common carriers under Section 111.002, | ||
Natural Resources Code; | ||
(B) telecommunications providers as defined by | ||
Section 51.002, Utilities Code; and | ||
(C) any other person or entity providing or | ||
producing heat, light, power, or water. | ||
(b) A public service provider may enter into a contract for | ||
an emergency notification system described by this section for use | ||
in informing the provider's customers, governmental entities, and | ||
other affected persons regarding: | ||
(1) notice of a disaster or emergency; and | ||
(2) any actions a recipient is required to take during | ||
a disaster or emergency. | ||
(c) The emergency notification system for which a contract | ||
is entered into under Subsection (b) must rely on a dynamic | ||
information database that: | ||
(1) is capable of simultaneous transmission of | ||
emergency messages to all recipients through at least two | ||
industry-standard gateways to one or more telephones or electronic | ||
devices owned by a recipient in a manner that does not negatively | ||
impact the existing communications infrastructure; | ||
(2) allows the public service provider to: | ||
(A) store prewritten emergency messages in the | ||
dynamic information database for subsequent use; and | ||
(B) generate emergency messages in real time | ||
based on provider inputs; | ||
(3) allows a recipient to select the language in which | ||
the recipient would prefer to receive messages; | ||
(4) transmits the message in the recipient's language | ||
of choice to that recipient; | ||
(5) converts text messages to sound files and | ||
transmits those sound files to the appropriate device; | ||
(6) assigns recipients to priority groups for | ||
notification; | ||
(7) allows for the collection and verification of | ||
responses by recipients of emergency messages; and | ||
(8) reads or receives alerts from a commercial mobile | ||
alert system established by the Federal Communications Commission | ||
or complies with standards adopted for a commercial mobile alert | ||
system by the Federal Communications Commission. | ||
(d) The dynamic information database must comply with: | ||
(1) the Telecommunications Service Priority program | ||
established by the Federal Communications Commission; and | ||
(2) the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 | ||
governing compliant cryptographic modules for encryption and | ||
security issued by the National Institute of Standards and | ||
Technology. | ||
(e) A public service provider that uses an emergency | ||
notification system described by this section is entitled to | ||
information that is confidential under Section 771.061, Health and | ||
Safety Code, from a governmental entity providing 9-1-1 service to | ||
a public service provider's customers. The public service provider | ||
shall use information collected or received under this subsection | ||
only for informing persons under Subsection (b). | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |