By Carter H.B. No. 1437
75R4914 JD-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of an emergency telephone call box system
1-3 for highway users in this state.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Transportation Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Chapter 226 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 226. EMERGENCY HIGHWAY CALL BOX SYSTEM
1-8 Sec. 226.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "emergency
1-9 response services" means:
1-10 (1) firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency
1-11 medical services that are provided by a public agency; or
1-12 (2) motorist assistance services.
1-13 Sec. 226.002. APPLICABILITY; LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.
1-14 This chapter does not:
1-15 (1) apply to a segment of a highway that the
1-16 commission has designated as a farm-to-market or ranch-to-market
1-17 road; or
1-18 (2) authorize the department to make an expenditure of
1-19 money for the implementation, operation, or maintenance of the
1-20 emergency telephone call box system under this chapter that exceeds
1-21 the amount of money deposited to the credit of the state highway
1-22 fund under Section 502.185(d).
1-23 Sec. 226.003. INSTALLATION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF
1-24 CALL BOX SYSTEM. (a) The department shall provide for the
2-1 installation, operation, and maintenance of a system of emergency
2-2 telephone call boxes along those highways in this state that are
2-3 part of the designated state highway system.
2-4 (b) The system must:
2-5 (1) be designed to enable users of those highways to
2-6 communicate with providers of emergency response services; and
2-7 (2) include:
2-8 (A) wireline and wireless telecommunications
2-9 services; and
2-10 (B) one or more motorist assistance answering
2-11 centers.
2-12 Sec. 226.004. DISTANCE BETWEEN CALL BOXES. When the system
2-13 is fully implemented, the distance between two call boxes may not
2-14 exceed two miles, except as prohibited by roadway conditions.
2-15 Sec. 226.005. EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL BOX SYSTEM COMMITTEE.
2-16 (a) There is created an emergency telephone call box system
2-17 committee. The committee is composed of the executive officers, or
2-18 the representatives of the executive officers, of:
2-19 (1) the Advisory Commission on State Emergency
2-20 Communications;
2-21 (2) the General Services Commission;
2-22 (3) the Texas Department of Health; and
2-23 (4) the Department of Public Safety.
2-24 (b) The department shall consult with the committee in
2-25 determining the initial placement and spacing of the emergency
2-26 telephone call boxes.
2-27 (c) The committee shall advise and assist the department in:
3-1 (1) the design, operation, and maintenance of the
3-2 system; and
3-3 (2) the development of specifications for each
3-4 contract to be awarded under this chapter.
3-5 Sec. 226.006. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM ADVISORY COMMISSION
3-6 ON STATE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. The Advisory Commission on
3-7 State Emergency Communications shall provide technical assistance
3-8 to the department, including things necessary to support the proper
3-9 routing of a call made to an emergency response services provider
3-10 from an emergency telephone call box and any emergency response to
3-11 that call.
3-12 Sec. 226.007. CONTRACTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND INSTALLATION
3-13 OF CALL BOX SYSTEM. (a) The department shall:
3-14 (1) award one or more contracts to implement the
3-15 system not later than June 1, 1998;
3-16 (2) require that installation of the system begin not
3-17 later than September 1, 1998; and
3-18 (3) implement the system in each area of the state
3-19 that has cellular telephone coverage not later than May 1, 2003.
3-20 (b) A contract awarded under this chapter shall be awarded
3-21 by the department in the manner provided by Chapter 223.
3-22 (c) The department may solicit proposals for and enter into
3-23 one or more lease-purchase agreements under this chapter.
3-24 Sec. 226.008. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION. The Advisory
3-25 Commission on State Emergency Communications, agencies of this
3-26 state, and each county and municipality in this state shall
3-27 cooperate with the department in the design, establishment,
4-1 operation, and maintenance of the emergency telephone call box
4-2 system.
4-3 Sec. 226.009. ANNUAL REPORTS. (a) Not later than November
4-4 1 of each year, the department shall file with the lieutenant
4-5 governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
4-6 Legislative Budget Board a report on the activities under this
4-7 chapter during the preceding fiscal year.
4-8 (b) The report may include the department's recommendations
4-9 for action by the legislature.
4-10 SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
4-11 is amended by adding Section 502.185 to read as follows:
4-12 Sec. 502.185. EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL BOX SYSTEM FEE.
4-13 (a) When a person registers a vehicle under this chapter, except
4-14 as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, the person shall
4-15 pay, in addition to the registration fee, a fee of $1.
4-16 (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a vehicle that is owned
4-17 by and used exclusively in the service of the United States, this
4-18 state, or a political subdivision of this state.
4-19 (c) The county assessor-collector shall send each $1 fee
4-20 collected under this section to the department before the 30th day
4-21 after the date it is collected.
4-22 (d) Each $1 fee under this section that is collected by the
4-23 department or that is sent to the department shall be deposited to
4-24 the credit of a separate account in the state highway fund. Except
4-25 as provided by Subsection (e), money in the account may be used
4-26 only for the purpose of implementing or administering the emergency
4-27 telephone call box system established by the department under
5-1 Chapter 226.
5-2 (e) If the amount of money deposited to the credit of the
5-3 state highway fund under Subsection (d) is greater than the amount
5-4 of money necessary to design, implement, operate, and maintain the
5-5 emergency telephone call box system, the department may use the
5-6 surplus for any purpose for which money in that fund may be spent.
5-7 (f) Section 403.095, Government Code, does not apply to
5-8 money deposited in the state highway fund under this section.
5-9 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. Section
5-10 502.185, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, applies only to
5-11 a person who registers a vehicle in this state on or after that
5-12 date.
5-13 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
5-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.