Bill Text: TX HB2257 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
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-Introduced.html
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-Introduced.html
By: Phillips | H.B. No. 2257 |
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relating to communications during a disaster or an emergency by | ||
public service providers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 418.047, Government Code, | ||
is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.047. COMMUNICATIONS BY THE DIVISION DURING | ||
DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 418.0471 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.0471. COMMUNICATIONS BY PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS | ||
DURING DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES. (a) A public service provider | ||
may use an emergency notification system under this section to | ||
inform the provider's customers, governmental agencies, and other | ||
affected persons with messages providing: | ||
(1) notice of a disaster or emergency; and | ||
(2) any actions a recipient is required to take during | ||
a disaster or an emergency. | ||
(b) The emergency notification system used by a public | ||
service provider 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 communication 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; and | ||
(7) allows for the collection and verification of | ||
responses by recipients of emergency messages. | ||
(c) 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. | ||
(d) A public service provider that uses an emergency | ||
notification system described by this section is entitled to | ||
obtain the information made confidential by Section 771.061, Health | ||
and Safety Code, from a governmental entity providing 9-1-1 service | ||
to a provider's customer. | ||
(e) As used in this section: | ||
(1) "Emergency" means a temporary, sudden, and | ||
unforeseen occurrence which requires action by a public service | ||
provider to inform, to correct, to protect lives or property, or to | ||
temporarily reduce demand or allocate supply for 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 furnishes essential products or services to the public | ||
that are governed by the Natural Resources, Utilities, or Water | ||
Code, including common carriers, telecommunications companies, | ||
and any person or entity furnishing or producing heat, light, power | ||
or water. | ||
SECTION 3. 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. |