C.S.H.B. 522 78(R) Page 1 of 1BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 522 By: Lewis Law Enforcement Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the Tarrant County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District has allowable operating expenses which include all equipment and personnel necessary to operate a public safety answering point. The legislative language used for addressing "allowable expenses" for the Tarrant County District was copied from previous enabling legislation for the Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District. While the Tarrant County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District does have responsibility for the implementation and enhancement of the 9-1-1 communications infrastructure (network and database services), it does not have responsibility for emergency dispatch or response. Since the Tarrant County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District does not employ public safety point answering personnel (answering personnel are employed by cities and other entities), this bill is necessary to assure that the statutory language conforms to the actual operation of the Tarrant County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District. C.S.H.B. 522 removes personnel as an allowable operating expense for the Tarrant County 9-1-1 Emergency Communication District. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 522 amends Section 772.217 of the Health and Safety Code to delete language describing allowable operating expenses as "equipment and personnel necessary to establish and operate a public safety answering point and other related answering points" and to add language allowing expenses for costs attributable to the operation of the 9-1-1 system and related services. This subchapter applies to a county with a population of more than 860,000 in which an emergency communication district was created under Chapter 7, Acts of the 68th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1984, before January 1, 1988. EFFECTIVE DATE This Act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 522 modifies the original bill by deleting the explicit statement that costs of personnel necessary to operate a public safety answering point are not allowable operating expenses of such emergency communication districts. The substitute provides the board of the emergency communication district with the option of employing public safety answering point personnel at a later date if necessary.