By Chisum                                             H.B. No. 1233
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to emergency access to private land by persons designated
    1-3  by a commissioners court of a county.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 11, Local Government Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Chapter 360 to read as follows:
    1-7      CHAPTER 360.  MISCELLANEOUS COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY PROVISIONS
    1-8        Sec. 360.001.  EMERGENCY ENTRY ON PRIVATE LAND.  (a)  The
    1-9  commissioners court may authorize appropriate persons to enter
   1-10  private land as the commissioners court determines necessary to
   1-11  protect individuals or domestic or exotic animals endangered by a
   1-12  natural emergency.
   1-13        (b)  The commissioners court shall make all reasonable
   1-14  efforts to notify at least one owner or occupant of the land and
   1-15  obtain permission before authorizing entry onto the land.
   1-16        (c)  In this section, "natural emergency" means the
   1-17  occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage,
   1-18  injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural
   1-19  cause, including fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, or snow.
   1-20  The term "natural emergency" does not include drought.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-2  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-3  passage, and it is so enacted.