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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to statewide preparedness and long-term recovery |
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strategies for certain issues arising from a pandemic or other |
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disaster. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 418.004(1), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(1) "Disaster" means the occurrence or imminent threat |
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of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property |
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resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including fire, |
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flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill or other |
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water contamination, volcanic activity, pandemic, epidemic, air |
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contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, riot, |
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hostile military or paramilitary action, extreme heat, |
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cybersecurity event, other public calamity requiring emergency |
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action, or energy emergency. |
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SECTION 2. Section 418.054(g), Government Code, as added by |
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Chapter 602 (S.B. 799), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2019, is amended to read as follows: |
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(g) The advisory council shall: |
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(1) advise the division on policies, rules, and |
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program operations to assist businesses in recovering from a |
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disaster; |
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(2) advise the division on the state resources and |
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services needed to assist businesses in recovering from a |
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catastrophic loss of electric power; [and] |
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(3) propose solutions to address inefficiencies or |
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problems in the state or local governmental disaster response with |
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respect to impact on businesses and the economy; and |
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(4) propose solutions to mitigate medical supply chain |
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problems and nursing and physician staff shortages that may occur |
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during a disaster. |
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SECTION 3. Section 418.054, Government Code, as added by |
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Chapters 576 (S.B. 289) and 1018 (H.B. 6), Acts of the 86th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is amended by adding Subsection |
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(e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The disaster recovery task force shall address |
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long-term solutions to issues arising from a disaster that are |
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specific to a pandemic or epidemic, including unemployment issues |
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and rental policies and other housing issues. |
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SECTION 4. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails |
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over another Act of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, |
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relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted |
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codes. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |