Bill Text: TX HB2496 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to notice provided by certain public water systems regarding a water service interruption in an area served by a fire department that provides fire suppression services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-10 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2496 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB2496-Introduced.html
 
 
  By: Swanson H.B. No. 2496
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to notice provided by a public water system regarding a
  water outage in an area served by a provider of fire protection
  services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 341, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 341.03561 to read as follows:
         Sec. 341.03561.  NOTIFICATION OF WATER OUTAGE TO PROVIDER OF
  FIRE SUPPRESSION SERVICES. (a) In this section:
               (1)  "Fire department" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 795.001.
               (2)  "Hydrant" has the meaning assigned by Section
  341.03571.
               (3)  "Regulatory authority" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 13.002, Water Code.
               (4)  "Public safety answering point" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 772.001.
         (b)  The regulatory authority for a public water system
  responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the
  public water system to provide to each fire department that
  provides fire suppression services in the area in which the hydrant
  is located notice of an unplanned water service interruption that
  results in the hydrant being temporarily unavailable for use in a
  fire emergency as soon as possible, but no later than:
               (1)  one hour from the first notification that a
  hydrant is unavailable for use when the outage impacts multiple
  hydrants; or
               (2)  three hours from the first notification that a
  hydrant is unavailable for use when the outage impacts a singular
  hydrant.
         (c)  The regulatory authority for a public water system
  responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the
  public water system to provide to each fire department that
  provides fire suppression services in the area in which the hydrant
  is located notice of a planned water service interruption that
  results in the hydrant being temporarily unavailable for use in a
  fire emergency prior to a disruption of service.
         (d)  The regulatory authority for a public water system
  responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the
  public water system to provide to each fire department that
  provides fire suppression services in the area impacted by a water
  service interruption under Subsections (b) or (c) notice of a
  resumption of service within two hours.
         (e)  For the purposes of this section, a hydrant is
  unavailable for use in a fire emergency if it is unavailable for
  pumping directly from the hydrant or is unavailable for use in
  filling a water tank on a fire truck used for fire suppression
  services.
         (f)  The regulatory authority may approve the use of a
  dynamic information database described by Section 418.192,
  Government Code, to satisfy the requirements of Subsections (b),
  (c), and (d).
         (g)  The regulatory authority may instead provide notice to a
  public safety answering point that relays information to a fire
  department that provides fire suppression services in the area in
  which an affected hydrant is located, to satisfy the requirements
  of Subsections (b), (c), and (d).
         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, 2023.
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