Amend CSHB 1983 (Senate Committee Printing) by adding the
following appropriately numbered SECTIONS and renumbering the
current SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. (a) Chapter 226, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 226. RURAL HIGHWAY EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS <CALL BOX> SYSTEM
Sec. 226.001. DEFINITIONS <DEFINITION>. In this chapter:
(1) "Communications commission" means the Commission
on State Emergency Communications.
(2) "Emergency <, "emergency> response services"
means:
(A) fire fighting <(1) fire-fighting>, law
enforcement, or emergency medical services that are provided by a
public agency; or
(B) <(2)> motorist assistance services.
(3) "Rural highway emergency communications system"
means a system of emergency communications devices installed along
the highways that are part of the designated state highway system.
Sec. 226.002. APPLICABILITY; LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.
This chapter does not<:>
<(1)> apply to a segment of a highway that the
commission has designated as a farm-to-market or ranch-to-market
road<; or>
<(2) authorize the department to make an expenditure
of money for the implementation, operation, or maintenance of the
emergency telephone call box system out of the state highway fund>.
Sec. 226.003. RURAL HIGHWAY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
INSTALLATION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE; COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
OVERSIGHT <OF CALL BOX SYSTEM>. (a) The communications commission
shall manage the installation and implementation of a rural highway
emergency communications system and coordinate the <The department
may provide for the installment,> operation<,> and maintenance of
the <a> system through emergency communications districts and
regional planning commissions. The communications commission shall
implement the system in each area of the state that has cellular
telephone service coverage <of emergency telephone call boxes along
those highways in this state that are part of the designated state
highway system>.
(b) The system must <may>:
(1) be designed to enable users of <those> highways
that are part of the designated state highway system to request
emergency and nonemergency response services;
(2) include:
(A) wired or wireless telecommunications
services; and
(B) one or more motorist assistance answering
centers; and
(3) be capable of performing compatible Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) functions.
(c) To minimize call processing loads in public safety
answering points established under Chapter 771 or 772, Health and
Safety Code, the communications commission <department> may
contract with a private entity to perform the functions of a
motorist assistance answering center under Subsection (b)(2)(B).
(d) The communications commission shall provide technical
and management oversight to support:
(1) the proper routing to an emergency response
services provider of a call made from a rural highway emergency
communications system telephone; and
(2) emergency responses to a call described by
Subdivision (1).
(e) The communications commission may establish system
performance standards. The standards must be applicable uniformly
throughout the state.
Sec. 226.004. FUNDING. The communications commission shall
<department may> implement a rural highway emergency communications
<call box> system under this chapter if a public or private entity
provides all direct or indirect costs necessary for the
installation <installment>, operation, and maintenance of the
system.
Sec. 226.005. DESIGN AND LOCATION OF EMERGENCY TELEPHONES
<AND DISTANCE BETWEEN CALL BOXES>. The communications commission
and the department jointly shall determine the design and the
location, or criteria for the location, of emergency telephones in
the rural highway emergency communications <location of the
emergency call boxes shall be determined by the department in
accordance with the design specifications of the> system.
Sec. 226.006. CONTRACTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND INSTALLATION.
<(a)> The communications commission shall award one or more
contracts to install and implement the rural highway emergency
communications system. Implementation of the system may be by
<department may award a contract for the installation, maintenance,
or operation of a call box system in the manner provided by Chapter
223.>
<(b) The department may solicit proposals for and enter
into> one or more lease-purchase agreements <under this chapter>.
Sec. 226.007. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION. The
communications commission, each agency <Advisory Commission on
State Emergency Communications, agencies> of this state, and each
county and municipality in this state shall cooperate in the
design, establishment, operation, and maintenance of the rural
highway emergency communications <telephone call box> system.
Sec. 226.009. REPORTING AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The
communications commission annually shall prepare a report on the
activities under this chapter for each fiscal year. The report may
include the communications commission's recommendations for
legislative action.
(b) Not later than November 1 of each year, the
communications commission shall file the report regarding the
preceding fiscal year with the:
(1) lieutenant governor;
(2) speaker of the house of representatives; and
(3) Legislative Budget Board.
(b) All money appropriated by the 76th Legislature for the
purposes of Chapter 226, Transportation Code, is transferred from
the Texas Department of Transportation to the Commission on State
Emergency Communications. The Legislative Budget Board shall
certify to the comptroller the amount of money appropriated for
that purpose.
(c) The Commission on State Emergency Communications shall
award one or more contracts to implement the rural highway
emergency communications system before June 1, 2000. Installation
of the system must begin under contract before September 1, 2000.