Bill Text: TX HR227 | 2013 | 83rd Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Extending sympathy and encouragement to the citizens of West.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 12-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-25 - Reported enrolled [HR227 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR227-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Extending sympathy and encouragement to the citizens of West.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 12-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-25 - Reported enrolled [HR227 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR227-Introduced.html
83S10891 BPG-D | ||
By: Kacal | H.R. No. 227 |
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WHEREAS, The town of West was devastated by the fertilizer | ||
plant explosion on April 17, 2013, which claimed 15 lives, injured | ||
hundreds of people, and laid waste to a 37-square-block area; and | ||
WHEREAS, The President of the United States issued an | ||
emergency declaration under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford | ||
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and when he | ||
participated in an April 25 memorial service, he indicated that the | ||
federal government would support recovery efforts; after providing | ||
initial assistance, however, the Federal Emergency Management | ||
Agency denied a request for additional aid for the repair and | ||
replacement of infrastructure, claiming the destruction "is not of | ||
the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster | ||
declaration"; and | ||
WHEREAS, The explosion in West damaged some 350 homes, | ||
representing about half of the town's houses; moreover, three of | ||
the four schools in the West Independent School District were lost, | ||
and much of the city's street and water infrastructure was damaged; | ||
at the same time, the school district and the city lost about $40 | ||
million of their tax base, making it difficult to pay for | ||
rebuilding; this catastrophe will affect every resident for years | ||
to come; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas | ||
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby extend sincere sympathy to | ||
the residents of West and encourage all citizens in their efforts to | ||
rebuild their lives in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy. |