BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 985
81R8465 EAH-F By: Davis, Wendy; Gallegos
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Emergency service personnel, especially those who may travel to assist in an emergency, need lodging so they can help for extended periods of time. Hurricane Ike not only displaced residents, but it also affected emergency workers' ability to help where assistance was most needed. This bill gives those workers the financial ability to stay as close to the disaster area as they can and still be reimbursed by the state.
As proposed, S.B. 985 entitles a state employee who is emergency services personnel and who is deployed to a temporary duty station to conduct emergency or disaster response activities, to reimbursement for the actual expense of lodging when there is no room available at the state rate within reasonable proximity to the employee's temporary duty station.
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 Subchapter H, Chapter 660, Government Code, by adding Section 660.209, as follows:
Sec. 660.209. STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL. (a) Defines "emergency services personnel."
(b) Entitles a state employee who is emergency services personnel and who is deployed to a temporary duty station to conduct emergency or disaster response activities, notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter or the General Appropriations Act, to reimbursement for the actual expense of lodging when there is no room available at the state rate within reasonable proximity to the employee's temporary duty station.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2009.