SRC-LBB S.B. 756 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 756
78R5153 AKH-DBy: Nelson
Infrastructure Development and Security
3/13/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, in the event of a disaster, the DFW Airport Board is not
authorized to declare a local state of emergency.  As a result, access to
state and federal disaster aid is accomplished only through a long and
cumbersome process involving a number of individuals.  As proposed, S.B.
756 authorizes certain joint airport boards to declare a state of local
disaster as a prerequisite to obtaining state disaster assistance, thus
streamlining access to state and federal disaster aid. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 418.004, Government Code, by adding Subdivision
(8), to define "joint board." 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 418.102 (b), Government Code, to require a
municipal corporation or a joint board to request assistance from the
county program, when its resources are exceeded. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 418.108, Government Code, as follows:

 (a)  Provides an exception.

(b)  Prohibits a declaration of local disaster from being continued or
renewed for a period of more than seven days except with the consent of
the governing body of the political subdivision or the joint board as
provided by Subsection (e), as applicable. 

(c)  Includes the joint board's official records in the list of places to
file an order or proclamation relating to a local state of disaster. 

 (d)  No changes to this subsection.

(e)  Provides that the chief administrative officer of a joint board has
exclusive authority to declare that a local state of disaster exists
within the boundaries of an airport operated or controlled by the joint
board, regardless of whether the airport is located in or outside the
boundaries of a political subdivision. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.