Bill Text: TX HB2340 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to emergency and disaster management, response, and recovery.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 37-18)
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-29 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2340 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2340-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 2340 |
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relating to emergency and disaster management, response, and | ||
recovery. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 418.002, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.002. PURPOSES. The purposes of this chapter are | ||
to: | ||
(1) reduce vulnerability of people and communities of | ||
this state to damage, injury, and loss of life and property | ||
resulting from natural or man-made catastrophes, riots, or hostile | ||
military or paramilitary action; | ||
(2) prepare for prompt and efficient rescue, care, and | ||
treatment of persons victimized or threatened by disaster; | ||
(3) provide a setting conducive to the rapid and | ||
orderly restoration and rehabilitation of persons and property | ||
affected by disasters; | ||
(4) clarify and strengthen the roles of the governor, | ||
state agencies, the judicial branch of state government, and local | ||
governments in prevention of, preparation for, response to, and | ||
recovery from disasters; | ||
(5) authorize and provide for cooperation in disaster | ||
mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery; | ||
(6) authorize and provide for coordination of | ||
activities relating to disaster mitigation, preparedness, | ||
response, and recovery by agencies and officers of this state, and | ||
similar state-local, interstate, federal-state, and foreign | ||
activities in which the state and its political subdivisions may | ||
participate; | ||
(7) provide an emergency management system embodying | ||
all aspects of predisaster preparedness and postdisaster response; | ||
(8) assist in mitigation of disasters caused or | ||
aggravated by inadequate planning for and regulation of public and | ||
private facilities and land use; [ |
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(9) encourage state agencies, local governments, | ||
nongovernmental organizations, private entities, and individuals | ||
to adopt the goals of the strategic plan of the Federal Emergency | ||
Management Agency for preparing for, responding to, and recovering | ||
from a disaster that emphasize cooperation among federal agencies, | ||
state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, | ||
private entities, and individuals in each activity or project | ||
undertaken to ensure that this state is prepared to effectively | ||
respond to and recover from a disaster; and | ||
(10) provide the authority and mechanism to respond to | ||
an energy emergency. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 418.054 and 418.055 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.054. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT STUDY GROUP. (a) In this | ||
section, "study group" means the unmanned aircraft study group | ||
established under this section. | ||
(b) The unmanned aircraft study group is established and | ||
consists of the following members appointed by the chief of the | ||
division: | ||
(1) representatives of the division; | ||
(2) representatives from institutions of higher | ||
education; and | ||
(3) other appropriate interested persons. | ||
(c) The study group shall study issues related to the | ||
appropriate use of unmanned aircraft in responding to and | ||
recovering from a disaster, including: | ||
(1) strategies for coordinating and promoting the use | ||
of unmanned aircraft among state agencies, local governments, and | ||
private entities in the response and recovery; and | ||
(2) recommended changes to state law that would allow | ||
state agencies, local governments, and private entities to more | ||
effectively use unmanned aircraft in the response and recovery. | ||
(d) Not later than November 1, 2020, the study group shall | ||
submit a report containing recommendations on the issues described | ||
by Subsection (c) to each member of the legislature. | ||
(e) The study group is abolished and this section expires | ||
January 1, 2021. | ||
Sec. 418.055. INFORMATION SHARING WORK GROUP. (a) In this | ||
section, "work group" means the work group established under this | ||
section. | ||
(b) The division shall establish a work group of state | ||
agencies involved in disaster management. The work group consists | ||
of members appointed by the chief of the division who represent: | ||
(1) the comptroller's office; | ||
(2) the Department of State Health Services; | ||
(3) the Texas Department of Transportation; | ||
(4) the General Land Office; | ||
(5) the Health and Human Services Commission; | ||
(6) institutions of higher education; and | ||
(7) to the extent practicable, appropriate federal | ||
agencies. | ||
(c) The work group shall develop recommendations for | ||
improving the manner in which electronic information is stored by | ||
and shared among state agencies and between state agencies and | ||
federal agencies to improve the capacity of the agencies to: | ||
(1) respond to a disaster; and | ||
(2) coordinate the agencies' responses to a disaster. | ||
(d) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
the work group shall submit the group's recommendations to the | ||
governor. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 418.056 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.056. PERMITTING TASK FORCE. (a) The division | ||
shall form a task force with representatives from the General Land | ||
Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Parks and | ||
Wildlife Department, Texas Water Development Board, Texas A&M | ||
AgriLife Extension Service, Department of State Health Services, | ||
Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Texas Historical Commission | ||
to be activated if a state of disaster is declared under Section | ||
418.014 because of weather conditions to expedite: | ||
(1) environmental permitting; and | ||
(2) access to funds from federal disaster relief | ||
programs following the disaster. | ||
(b) The task force formed under this section shall develop | ||
recommendations for expediting the evaluation of environmental | ||
permits during disaster recovery in order for local entities to | ||
demonstrate compliance with regulations and access federal | ||
disaster relief programs and funding. | ||
(c) In performing its duties under this section, the task | ||
force may use resources of agencies participating in the task | ||
force. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 751, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 751.017 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 751.017. FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY | ||
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DISASTER ASSISTANCE. (a) The office, in | ||
consultation with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and, | ||
as practicable, federal agencies and members of Congress, shall: | ||
(1) study federal laws and policies related to issues | ||
affecting the ability of federal agencies, state agencies, and | ||
local governments to cooperate in responding to a disaster, | ||
including issues related to procurement, housing assistance, | ||
information sharing, personnel, and federal disaster assistance | ||
programs; and | ||
(2) make recommendations to improve federal laws and | ||
policies related to the issues described by Subdivision (1). | ||
(b) Not later than November 1, 2020, the office shall | ||
deliver to the board a report of the recommendations described by | ||
Subsection (a)(2). | ||
(c) This section expires January 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 2340 was passed by the House on April | ||
11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 2340 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
16, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
Date | ||
_____________________ | ||
Governor |