BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3717

By: Guillen

Border & Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Some areas in Texas lack access to efficient emergency response services.  C.S.H.B. 3717 seeks to address this issue by having the Commission on State Emergency Communications conduct a study to evaluate access to 9-1-1 communications in rural areas and the ability of first responders to respond to emergencies in those areas.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3717 requires the Commission on State Emergency Communications to conduct a study to evaluate access to 9-1-1 communications in rural areas and the ability of first responders to respond to emergencies in rural areas and to provide recommendations for the creation of a program that will maximize the use of federal and state funding for 9-1-1 services to ensure rural areas have greater access to 9-1-1 communications and first responders are able to respond more efficiently to emergencies in rural areas.

C.S.H.B. 3717 requires the commission, not later than December 1, 2012, to submit a report containing the findings of the study and the commission's recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. The bill sets its provisions to expire on December 31, 2012.

C.S.H.B. 3717 defines "first responder" by reference to the Government Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3717 omits provisions included in the original relating to the imposition of local emergency service fees in certain counties; establishment of the amounts of the fees; a trust account for the fees; distribution of trust funds from the account; amounts retained in the account; interest on fee revenue; use of fee revenue for emergency first response service; and administration, payment, remittance, and enforcement of the fees by rules of the comptroller of public accounts.

C.S.H.B. 3717 contains a temporary provision not included in the original, set to expire December 31, 2012, requiring the Commission on State Emergency Communications to conduct a study to evaluate access to 9-1-1 communications in rural areas and the ability of first responders to respond to emergencies in rural areas, to provide recommendations for the creation of a program, and to submit the report to certain state officials.

C.S.H.B. 3717 differs from the original by setting an effective date of on passage or September 1, 2011, whereas the original sets an effective date of September 1, 2011.