Bill Text: TX SB958 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-11 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB958 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB958-Introduced.html
87R2688 SCL-D | ||
By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 958 |
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relating to establishment of the Texas Active Shooter Alert System. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Leilah Hernandez | ||
Act." | ||
SECTION 2. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter L-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER L-1. TEXAS ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERT SYSTEM | ||
Sec. 411.371. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "alert | ||
system" means the Texas Active Shooter Alert System established | ||
under this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 411.372. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ALERT | ||
SYSTEM. With the cooperation of the Texas Department of | ||
Transportation, the office of the governor, and other appropriate | ||
law enforcement agencies in this state, the department shall | ||
develop and implement an alert system to be activated on report of | ||
an active shooter. | ||
Sec. 411.373. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The director is the | ||
statewide coordinator of the alert system. | ||
(b) The director shall adopt rules and issue directives as | ||
necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert system. The | ||
rules and directives must include instructions on the procedures | ||
for activating and deactivating the alert system. | ||
(c) The director shall prescribe forms for local law | ||
enforcement agencies to use in requesting activation of the alert | ||
system. | ||
Sec. 411.374. DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS. (a) The | ||
department shall recruit public and commercial television and radio | ||
broadcasters, mobile telephone service providers, private | ||
commercial entities, state or local governmental entities, the | ||
public, and other appropriate persons to assist in developing and | ||
implementing the alert system. | ||
(b) The department may enter into agreements with | ||
participants in the alert system to provide necessary support for | ||
the alert system. | ||
Sec. 411.375. ACTIVATION. (a) On the request of a local law | ||
enforcement agency regarding an active shooter, the department | ||
shall activate the alert system in a 50-mile radius of the active | ||
shooter's location and notify appropriate participants in the alert | ||
system as established by rule if the local law enforcement agency: | ||
(1) believes an active shooter is in the agency's | ||
jurisdiction; | ||
(2) determines an active shooter alert would assist | ||
individuals near the active shooter's location; | ||
(3) verifies the active shooter situation through a | ||
preliminary investigation; and | ||
(4) provides the department with the active shooter's | ||
last known location and any identifiable information for the active | ||
shooter. | ||
(b) The department may modify the criteria described by | ||
Subsection (a) as necessary for the proper implementation of the | ||
alert system. | ||
Sec. 411.376. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. Before | ||
requesting activation of the alert system, a local law enforcement | ||
agency must verify that the criteria described by Section | ||
411.375(a) have been satisfied. On verification of the applicable | ||
criteria, the local law enforcement agency may immediately contact | ||
the department to request activation and supply the necessary | ||
information on forms prescribed by the director. | ||
Sec. 411.377. STATE AGENCIES. (a) A state agency | ||
participating in the alert system shall: | ||
(1) cooperate with the department and assist in | ||
developing and implementing the alert system; and | ||
(2) establish a plan for providing relevant | ||
information to its officers, investigators, or employees, as | ||
appropriate, on activation of the alert system. | ||
(b) In addition to its duties as a state agency under | ||
Subsection (a), the Texas Department of Transportation shall | ||
establish a plan for providing relevant information to the public | ||
within 50 miles of an active shooter for which an alert has been | ||
issued through an existing system of dynamic message signs located | ||
across the state. | ||
Sec. 411.378. TERMINATION. The director shall terminate | ||
any activation of the alert system for a particular active shooter | ||
if: | ||
(1) the active shooter situation is resolved; or | ||
(2) the director determines the alert system is no | ||
longer an effective tool for providing relevant information to the | ||
public about the active shooter. | ||
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the public safety director of the Department of Public | ||
Safety of the State of Texas shall adopt rules and issue directives | ||
necessary to implement Subchapter L-1, Chapter 411, Government | ||
Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |