Bill Text: TX HB2320 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to services provided during and following a disaster.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-29 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2320 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2320-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to services provided during and following a disaster.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-29 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2320 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2320-Introduced.html
86R13421 SRA-D | ||
By: Paul | H.B. No. 2320 |
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relating to services provided during and following a disaster. | ||
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, 418.055, and 418.056 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 418.054. COMMUNICATIONS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A | ||
DISASTER. The division, in collaboration with the Texas A&M | ||
AgriLife Extension Service and other appropriate entities, shall to | ||
the extent practicable include private wireless communication, | ||
Internet, and cable service providers in the disaster planning | ||
process and determine the availability of the providers' portable | ||
satellite communications equipment and portable mobile telephone | ||
towers to assist in response and recovery immediately following | ||
disasters. | ||
Sec. 418.055. HARDENING OF UTILITY FACILITIES AND CRITICAL | ||
INFRASTRUCTURE. (a) In this section, "critical infrastructure" | ||
includes hospitals and fire stations. | ||
(b) The division shall identify methods for hardening | ||
utility facilities and critical infrastructure in order to maintain | ||
operations of essential services during disasters. | ||
(c) The division shall, in collaboration with the Texas A&M | ||
AgriLife Extension Service, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, | ||
the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Railroad | ||
Commission of Texas: | ||
(1) locate utility facilities and critical | ||
infrastructure in this state and determine methods for effectively | ||
reducing risks and impacts on those facilities and that | ||
infrastructure from a disaster; and | ||
(2) encourage public and private entities that are | ||
responsible for utility facilities and critical infrastructure to | ||
implement the methods determined under Subdivision (1). | ||
Sec. 418.056. REPORT ON BUILDING TRADE SERVICES FOLLOWING | ||
DISASTERS. (a) Not later than November 1, 2020, the division shall | ||
submit a report to members of the legislature on improving the | ||
oversight, accountability, and availability of building trade | ||
services following disasters. The report must include: | ||
(1) strategies to increase the availability of | ||
tradespeople, including plumbers and electricians, following a | ||
disaster; | ||
(2) approaches to increase prosecutions of alleged | ||
fraud related to building trade services offered following a | ||
disaster; and | ||
(3) methods to encourage performance bond | ||
requirements in contracts for building trade services to be | ||
performed following a disaster. | ||
(b) The division shall consult with appropriate state | ||
entities, including the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and | ||
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, local governments, | ||
trade associations, and law enforcement groups in preparing the | ||
report described by Subsection (a). | ||
(c) This section expires January 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 17.010 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 17.010. DISASTER BILLING AWARENESS. The commission in | ||
cooperation with the Texas Division of Emergency Management shall: | ||
(1) promote public awareness of bill payment | ||
assistance available during a disaster for electric, water, and | ||
wastewater services, including assistance for consumers on level | ||
billing plans; and | ||
(2) provide the public with information about billing | ||
practices during a disaster to ensure that consumers of electric, | ||
water, and wastewater services have an adequate understanding of | ||
their rights. | ||
SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Texas | ||
Division of Emergency Management and the Public Utility Commission | ||
of Texas shall begin the public awareness campaign required by | ||
Section 17.010, Utilities Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |