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.