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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the disaster contingency fund. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 418.073, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) [If the governor finds that the demands placed on funds
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regularly appropriated to state and local agencies are unreasonably
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great for coping with a particular disaster, the governor with the
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concurrence of the disaster emergency funding board may make funds
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available from the disaster contingency fund.] It is the intent of |
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the legislature that in responding to an emergency or disaster, the |
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first recourse of state and local agencies should be to the funds |
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regularly appropriated to those [state and local] agencies. |
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(c) A state agency, local government, or other eligible |
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entity may request funding from the disaster contingency fund to |
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pay for: |
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(1) extraordinary costs incurred in implementing |
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preventive measures taken before or during an emergency; and |
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(2) costs incurred in repairing damage suffered during |
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a disaster for which: |
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(A) the presiding officer of a municipal or |
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county government has declared a local state of disaster for |
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affected areas within the jurisdiction of the municipality or |
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county; |
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(B) the governor has also declared a state of |
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disaster for the affected county or counties; and |
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(C) the federal government has not issued an |
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emergency or disaster declaration for the affected area that would |
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activate federal emergency assistance. |
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(d) The governor's division of emergency management shall |
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administer the disaster contingency fund and shall develop and |
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implement rules and procedures for providing emergency assistance |
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from the fund. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |