BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                          S.B. 75

81R1498 MSE-D                                                                                                              By: Nelson

                                                                                                 Transportation & Homeland Security

                                                                                                                                            2/23/2009

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Unnecessary evacuations are costly and take vital resources away from those who need the vital resources most.  One of the biggest lessons state officials have learned from Hurricane Ike is that many people with special needs receive care in their homes and their family members and caretakers need to know how to care for their loved ones in a disaster and when and how to evacuate. 

 

As proposed,  S.B. 75 directs the Department of State Health Services to create a program to inform the public of the most efficient way to evacuate based on the nature of the disaster and the individual's medical needs. 

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 418.186, Government Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 418, Government Code, by adding Section 418.186, as follows:

 

Sec. 418.186.  DISASTER AND EMERGENCY EDUCATION.  (a)  Requires the Department of State Health Services to establish a program designed to educate the citizens of this state on disaster and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.  Requires that the program address certain content related to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.

 

(b)  Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (executive commissioner), in cooperation with the governor, to adopt rules to create and administer a disaster and emergency education program established under this section. 

 

SECTION 2.  Requires the executive commissioner, in cooperation with the governor, to adopt rules to create and administer a disaster and emergency education program established under Section 418.186, Government Code, as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act, but not later than January 1, 2010.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2009.