By Jackson                                            H.B. No. 1364
       74R5822 DLF-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to audible warning sounds used by certain industrial
    1-3  facilities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Chapter 758 to read as follows:
    1-7    CHAPTER 758.  AUDIBLE WARNING SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
    1-8        Sec. 758.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
    1-9              (1)  "Audible warning system" means a system that is
   1-10  installed at an industrial facility and that uses an audible alarm
   1-11  or similar sound to notify individuals at the facility of danger or
   1-12  to evacuate.
   1-13              (2)  "Board" means Texas Board of Health.
   1-14              (3)  "Chemical plant" means a facility in which
   1-15  chemicals are produced, refined, or stored by a refiner or producer
   1-16  of chemicals, including petrochemicals.
   1-17              (4)  "Industrial facility" means a refinery, chemical
   1-18  plant, or other manufacturing facility.
   1-19              (5)  "Refinery" means an installation that refines,
   1-20  treats, prepares, or processes raw or unrefined petroleum.
   1-21        Sec. 758.002.  STANDARD SOUNDS.  (a)  An industrial facility
   1-22  that uses an audible warning system must use a system that produces
   1-23  standard warning sounds.
   1-24        (b)  The board by rule shall adopt the standard warning
    2-1  sounds.
    2-2        (c)  The board may coordinate the standard warning sounds
    2-3  required by this section with any warning sound required by federal
    2-4  law or regulation.  If necessary to comply with federal law or
    2-5  regulation applicable to different industrial facilities, the board
    2-6  may adopt more than one group of standard warning sounds.
    2-7        Sec. 758.003.  AUDIBLE WARNING SYSTEM NOT REQUIRED.  This
    2-8  chapter does not require an industrial facility to install an
    2-9  audible warning system.
   2-10        SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
   2-11  applies only to use of an audible warning sound by an industrial
   2-12  facility on or after June 1, 1997.
   2-13        (b)  The Texas Board of Health shall adopt standard warning
   2-14  sounds for audible warning systems under Chapter 758, Health and
   2-15  Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 1997.
   2-16  Before proposing a rule adopting the sounds, the board shall
   2-17  solicit proposals from industrial facilities that will be affected
   2-18  by the proposal.
   2-19        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-20  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-21  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-22  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-23  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.