Bill Text: TX HB2325 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to information and communication of governmental and other entities regarding disasters and health and human services.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-3)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2325 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2325-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 2325 |
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relating to information and communication of governmental and other | ||
entities regarding disasters and health and human services. | ||
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, 418.056, 418.057, | ||
418.058, and 418.059 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.054. COORDINATING 9-1-1 TEXT MESSAGE CAPABILITY. | ||
The division, in consultation with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension | ||
Service, shall coordinate state and local government efforts to | ||
make 9-1-1 emergency service capable of receiving text messages | ||
from a cellular telephone or other wireless communication device. | ||
Sec. 418.055. SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING AND AFTER DISASTERS. | ||
The division, in consultation with any state agency or private | ||
entity the division determines is appropriate, shall develop | ||
standards for the use of social media as a communication tool by | ||
governmental entities during and after a disaster. The standards | ||
must: | ||
(1) require state agencies, political subdivisions, | ||
first responders, and volunteers that use social media during and | ||
after a disaster to post consistent and clear information; | ||
(2) optimize the effectiveness of social media use | ||
during and after a disaster; and | ||
(3) require that certain official social media | ||
accounts be used during and after a disaster only for providing | ||
credible sources of information. | ||
Sec. 418.056. DISASTER MOBILE APPLICATION. (a) The | ||
division shall develop a mobile application for wireless | ||
communication devices to communicate critical information during a | ||
disaster directly to disaster victims and first responders. | ||
(b) The mobile application may provide information on: | ||
(1) road and weather conditions during a disaster; and | ||
(2) disaster response and recovery activities. | ||
Sec. 418.057. DISASTER WEB PORTAL. The division shall | ||
develop a comprehensive disaster web portal. The web portal must: | ||
(1) provide disaster information to the public, | ||
including information on programs and services available to | ||
disaster victims and funding for and expenditures of disaster | ||
assistance programs; | ||
(2) include information on disaster response and | ||
recovery activities; and | ||
(3) provide information on obtaining assistance from | ||
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state agencies, organized | ||
volunteer groups, and any other entities providing disaster | ||
assistance. | ||
Sec. 418.058. USE OF DATA ANALYTICS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT. | ||
To the extent feasible, the division shall use data analytics | ||
software to integrate data from federal, state, local, and | ||
nongovernmental sources to more effectively manage disaster | ||
response and recovery. | ||
Sec. 418.059. STUDY ON STANDARD COMMUNICATION FORMAT. (a) | ||
To improve the state's response to disasters, the division shall | ||
conduct a study on the use of a standard communication format by | ||
first responders to create a common interoperable operating | ||
framework during a disaster. The study must: | ||
(1) examine the costs and benefits of promoting the | ||
use of a standard communication format to create a comprehensive | ||
common operating framework that is interoperable across networks; | ||
(2) identify any costs that first responders may incur | ||
in acquiring or upgrading equipment or services complying with a | ||
standard communication format; and | ||
(3) identify necessary actions to adopt a standard | ||
communication format. | ||
(b) Not later than September 1, 2020, the division shall | ||
submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and members of the | ||
legislature a report on the findings of the study. | ||
(c) This section expires December 1, 2020. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 418.127 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.127. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMUNITY OUTREACH. To | ||
the extent practicable, the following entities shall conduct | ||
community outreach, including public awareness campaigns, and | ||
education activities on disaster preparedness each year: | ||
(1) municipalities and counties; | ||
(2) the department, including the division; | ||
(3) the Texas Education Agency; | ||
(4) the office of the comptroller; | ||
(5) the Texas Department of Insurance; | ||
(6) the Texas Department of Transportation; | ||
(7) the Texas Department of Housing and Community | ||
Affairs; | ||
(8) the Health and Human Services Commission; and | ||
(9) the Department of State Health Services. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 418.193 and 418.194 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 418.193. PURCHASE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMODITY | ||
ITEMS FOR DISASTER PURPOSES. A public safety entity, as defined by | ||
47 U.S.C. Section 1401, or a county hospital, public hospital, or | ||
hospital district may purchase commodity items through the | ||
Department of Information Resources in accordance with Section | ||
2157.068 if the public safety entity, hospital, or hospital | ||
district finds that the purchase of those commodity items will | ||
assist the public safety entity, hospital, or hospital district in | ||
providing disaster education or preparing for a disaster. | ||
Sec. 418.194. CONTRACTS WITH CERTAIN ENTITIES FOR DISASTER | ||
PURPOSES. (a) In this section, "consolidated telecommunications | ||
system" has the meaning assigned by Section 2170.001(a). | ||
(b) A public safety entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section | ||
1401, or a governmental entity of another state may contract with | ||
the Department of Information Resources for use of the consolidated | ||
telecommunications system in accordance with Section 2170.004 if | ||
the public safety entity or governmental entity finds that the use | ||
of the consolidated telecommunications system will assist the | ||
entity in providing disaster education or preparing for a disaster. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 531.0312(a), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network at the | ||
commission is the program responsible for the development, | ||
coordination, and implementation of a statewide information and | ||
referral network that integrates existing community-based | ||
structures with state and local agencies. The network must: | ||
(1) include information relating to transportation | ||
services provided to clients of state and local agencies; | ||
(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster | ||
response and emergency management, including through the use of | ||
interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure | ||
preparedness and responsiveness; | ||
(3) include technology capable of communicating with | ||
clients of state and local agencies using electronic text | ||
messaging; and | ||
(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based | ||
system to provide real-time, searchable data about the location and | ||
number of clients of state and local agencies using the system and | ||
the types of requests made by the clients. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 2157.068(j), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(j) The following entities may purchase commodity items | ||
through the department, and be charged a reasonable administrative | ||
fee, as provided by this section: | ||
(1) the Electric Reliability Council of Texas; | ||
(2) the Lower Colorado River Authority; | ||
(3) a private school, as defined by Section 5.001, | ||
Education Code; | ||
(4) a private or independent institution of higher | ||
education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; [ |
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(5) a volunteer fire department, as defined by Section | ||
152.001, Tax Code; | ||
(6) subject to Section 418.193, a public safety | ||
entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 1401; or | ||
(7) subject to Section 418.193, a county hospital, | ||
public hospital, or hospital district. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 2170.004, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 2170.004. CONTRACTS WITH ENTITIES OTHER THAN STATE | ||
AGENCIES. The department may contract for use of the consolidated | ||
telecommunications system with: | ||
(1) each house of the legislature; | ||
(2) a legislative agency; | ||
(3) an agency that is not a state agency as defined by | ||
Section 2151.002; | ||
(4) a political subdivision, including a county, | ||
municipality, or district; | ||
(5) a private institution of higher education | ||
accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, as defined by | ||
Section 61.003, Education Code, that: | ||
(A) engages in distance learning, as defined by | ||
Section 57.021, Utilities Code; and | ||
(B) receives federal funds for distance learning | ||
initiatives; [ |
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(6) an assistance organization, as defined by Section | ||
2175.001; | ||
(7) subject to Section 418.194, a public safety | ||
entity, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 1401; and | ||
(8) subject to Section 418.194, a governmental entity | ||
of another state. | ||
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 2325 was passed by the House on April | ||
11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 2325 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 3, | ||
2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 2325 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |