Bill Text: TX SB982 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of disaster and emergency services, including health care services, to certain populations.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-10 - Effective on 9/1/19 [SB982 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB982-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 982 | ||
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| relating to the provision of disaster and emergency services, | ||
| including health care services, to certain populations. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 418.054 and 418.055 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 418.054. EMERGENCY PLAN FOR SPECIALTY CARE | ||
| POPULATIONS. The division, in consultation with the Department of | ||
| State Health Services and local governmental entities that have | ||
| established emergency management plans, shall develop a plan to | ||
| increase the capabilities of local emergency shelters in the | ||
| provision of shelter and care for specialty care populations during | ||
| a disaster. | ||
| Sec. 418.055. ACCESS TO LOCAL VOLUNTEER NETWORKS; VOLUNTEER | ||
| MOBILE MEDICAL UNITS. (a) The division, in consultation with the | ||
| Department of State Health Services, shall increase awareness of | ||
| and encourage local government emergency response teams to utilize | ||
| services provided by local volunteer networks, including the | ||
| Medical Reserve Corps, that are available in the area to respond | ||
| during a disaster or emergency. | ||
| (b) The division shall develop a plan to create and manage | ||
| state-controlled volunteer mobile medical units in each public | ||
| health region to assist counties that lack access to a volunteer | ||
| network described by Subsection (a). | ||
| (c) The Department of State Health Services shall | ||
| collaborate with local medical organizations that represent | ||
| licensed physicians who practice in a county or public health | ||
| region to: | ||
| (1) ensure the physicians are informed about local | ||
| government emergency response teams and those teams are aware of | ||
| physician resources in the county or region, as applicable; | ||
| (2) compile and maintain a list of physicians in the | ||
| county or region and the contact information for the physicians; | ||
| (3) provide up-to-date information about resources | ||
| for physicians regarding disaster planning, including continuing | ||
| medical education; | ||
| (4) promote the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry and | ||
| the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health | ||
| Professionals; | ||
| (5) consider incentives to assist with recruiting | ||
| physician volunteers; and | ||
| (6) encourage physicians and health professionals to | ||
| advocate for disaster planning measures in health care facilities. | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter F-1 to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER F-1. DISASTER ISSUES AFFECTING PERSONS WHO ARE ELDERLY | ||
| AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES | ||
| Sec. 418.131. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Disability" means, with respect to an individual, | ||
| a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits at least | ||
| one major life activity of that individual. | ||
| (2) "Task force" means the task force established | ||
| under Section 418.132. | ||
| Sec. 418.132. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The task force on | ||
| disaster issues affecting persons who are elderly and persons with | ||
| disabilities is established to study methods to more effectively: | ||
| (1) assist persons who are elderly and persons with | ||
| disabilities during a disaster or emergency evacuation; and | ||
| (2) accommodate persons who are elderly and persons | ||
| with disabilities in emergency shelters. | ||
| Sec. 418.133. COMPOSITION. (a) The task force is composed | ||
| of 11 members appointed by the governor, including: | ||
| (1) three members who are first responders; | ||
| (2) one member who represents municipalities; | ||
| (3) one member who represents counties; and | ||
| (4) six members who represent persons with | ||
| disabilities. | ||
| (b) A majority of the members appointed to the task force | ||
| must be persons with disabilities or guardians of children with | ||
| disabilities. | ||
| (c) Members serve staggered six-year terms with the terms of | ||
| three or four members expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered | ||
| year. | ||
| (d) The governor shall designate one member of the task | ||
| force to serve as the presiding officer of the task force. The | ||
| presiding officer serves in that capacity at the pleasure of the | ||
| governor. | ||
| Sec. 418.134. TASK FORCE STUDY. (a) The task force shall | ||
| study methods to more effectively accommodate persons who are | ||
| elderly and persons with disabilities during a disaster or | ||
| emergency evacuation. The study must examine and make | ||
| recommendations on: | ||
| (1) the provision of informational materials to | ||
| persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities before a | ||
| disaster occurs on disaster or emergency evacuation; | ||
| (2) the accessibility of transportation and medical | ||
| supplies to persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities | ||
| during a disaster; | ||
| (3) different solutions for accommodating persons who | ||
| are elderly and persons with disabilities during a disaster or | ||
| emergency evacuation of a rural or urban area; | ||
| (4) the ability to effectively communicate with | ||
| persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities during a | ||
| disaster; and | ||
| (5) the availability of volunteers to assist persons | ||
| who are elderly and persons with disabilities during an emergency | ||
| evacuation. | ||
| (b) The task force shall develop and submit a written report | ||
| of the study and recommendations developed by the task force to the | ||
| governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
| representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than | ||
| December 1, 2020. | ||
| (c) This section expires June 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 3. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is | ||
| required to implement a provision of this Act only if the | ||
| legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If | ||
| the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that | ||
| purpose, the division may, but is not required to, implement a | ||
| provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that | ||
| purpose. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 982 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 23, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; | ||
| May 24, 2019, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and | ||
| requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 25, 2019, House | ||
| granted request of the Senate; May 26, 2019, Senate adopted | ||
| Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 31, | ||
| Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 982 passed the House, with | ||
| amendments, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 141, | ||
| Nays 3, two present not voting; May 25, 2019, House granted | ||
| request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee; | ||
| May 26, 2019, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, one present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
