BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3223

By: Guillen

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, state law requires the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety to appoint a commanding officer from the Texas Highway Patrol to serve as chair of each of the state's disaster district committees. This requirement provides insufficient flexibility in the appointment of chairs. H.B. 3223 seeks to require that instead committee chairs be appointed based on the declared disaster and phase of disaster response in accordance with the National Incident Management System guidelines.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3223 amends the Government Code to remove the requirement for the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety to appoint a commanding officer from the Texas Highway Patrol to serve as chair of each of the state's disaster district committees. Instead, the bill requires the chair of the Emergency Management Council to appoint a chair to each such committee based on the declared disaster and phase of disaster response in accordance with the National Incident Management System guidelines. Accordingly, the bill changes the person whom each committee must inform on all matters relating to disasters and emergencies as requested from the state director of homeland security to the council chair.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.