| TO: | Honorable Frank Corte, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Defense Affairs & State-Federal Relations |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB9 by Staples (Relating to homeland security; providing a penalty.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted |
The bill authorizes the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Animal Health Commission to operate road station inspections to protect the state from shipments of potentially dangerous plant and animal pests and diseases. Both agencies anticipate being able to absorb the costs associated with these inspections within existing agency resources.
The bill requires the Office of the Governor to develop and administer a strategic plan to design and implement a statewide-integrated public safety radio and computer communications system. The bill requires the Office of the Governor to develop and administer a plan to purchase infrastructure equipment for state and local agencies and first responders and advise representatives of entities involved in homeland security activities.
The bill requires that all funds appropriated for the purpose of providing administrative support to the Public Safety Radio Communications Council be transferred from the Department of Public Safety to the Office of the Governor. No significant fiscal impact to the state is anticipated as the transferred funds will be used to fund the administration of the Governor's Interoperable Radio Communications Program.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If the bill does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, the bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
| Source Agencies: | 301 Office of the Governor, 551 Department of Agriculture, 554 Animal Health Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, ZS, JF, SR, MS, SMi
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