LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 18, 2009

TO:
Honorable Frank Corte, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2532 by Bonnen (Relating to coordinating information regarding the location of infrastructure to which the supply of electric service is critical to the public health and safety or for emergency management purposes.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require municipalities to provide the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) with the location of infrastructures in the municipalities’ jurisdiction that are critical to public health or safety and that require electric utility services.  The bill would require GDEM to provide to each electric utility that owns electric transmissions and distribution lines the critical infrastructure location information for each municipality served by that utility.


Local Government Impact

The bill would amend the Government Code requiring municipalities to provide the Division of Emergency Planning with the location of infrastructure within the municipality’s jurisdiction critical to public health and safety that requires electricity to respond to a disaster or an emergency. The required information on a critical infrastructure form would include the location of police, fire, and sewage lift stations, water treatment facilities, hospitals, and relevant government buildings. The form must be updated and filed with the division annually either electronically or by mail.

The bill also would require an electric utility receiving critical infrastructure information received from the division to maintain and update the information annually.

Under current law, local entities are required to prepare and maintain emergency management plans; therefore, the costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill are not anticipated to be significant.



Source Agencies:
301 Office of the Governor, 405 Department of Public Safety, 473 Public Utility Commission of Texas
LBB Staff:
JOB, KK, MS, BTA, TP