73R4839 RWS-D By Carter H.B. No. 1674 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the participation of appraisal districts in emergency 1-3 communications programs. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 771.001, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 771.001. Definitions. In this chapter: 1-8 (1) "Advisory commission" means the Advisory 1-9 Commission on State Emergency Communications. 1-10 (2) "Emergency communication district" means: 1-11 (A) a public agency or group of public agencies 1-12 acting jointly that provided 9-1-1 service before September 1, 1-13 1987, or that had voted or contracted before that date to provide 1-14 that service; or 1-15 (B) a district created under Subchapter B, C, or 1-16 D, Chapter 772. 1-17 (3) "Intrastate long distance service provider" means 1-18 a telecommunications carrier providing intrastate long distance 1-19 service, as defined by the advisory commission. 1-20 (4) "Local exchange service provider" means a 1-21 telecommunications carrier providing telecommunications service in 1-22 a local exchange service area under a certificate of public 1-23 convenience and necessity issued by the Public Utility Commission 1-24 of Texas. 2-1 (5) "9-1-1 service" means a telecommunications service 2-2 that provides the user of the public telephone system the ability 2-3 to reach a public safety answering point by dialing the digits 2-4 9-1-1. 2-5 (6) "Public agency" means the state, a municipality, a 2-6 county, an emergency communication district, a regional planning 2-7 commission, an appraisal district, or any other political 2-8 subdivision or district that provides, participates in the 2-9 provision of, or has authority to provide fire-fighting, law 2-10 enforcement, ambulance, medical, 9-1-1, or other emergency 2-11 services. 2-12 (7) "Public safety agency" means the division of a 2-13 public agency that provides fire-fighting, police, medical, or 2-14 other emergency services, or a private entity that provides 2-15 emergency medical or ambulance services. 2-16 (8) "Public safety answering point" means a 2-17 continuously operated communications facility that is assigned the 2-18 responsibility to receive 9-1-1 calls and, as appropriate, to 2-19 dispatch public safety services or to extend, transfer, or relay 2-20 9-1-1 calls to appropriate public safety agencies. 2-21 (9) "Regional planning commission" means a commission 2-22 established under Chapter 391, Local Government Code. 2-23 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-2 passage, and it is so enacted.