Honorable Dan Branch, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2758 by Pena (relating to mandatory emergency alert systems at institutions of higher education.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Under provisions of the bill, each institution of higher education would establish an emergency alert system for the institution's students, staff, and faculty. The system must use e-mail or telephone notifications in addition to any other method the institution considers appropriate to provide timely notification of emergencies affecting the institution and its students and staff. At the time a student initially enrolls or a staff member begins employement the institution shall obtain a personal telephone number or e-mail address to be used to notify the individual in the event of an emergency and register the student or staff member in the institution's emergency alert system. A student or staff member may elect not to participate in the emgergency alert system. This election may be submitted electronically or in writing, as chosen by the institution, and must be renewed at the start of each academic year. The information provided to the institution by the student or staff member is confidential and not subject to disclosure. Each institution would be required to implement the emergency alert system no later than the spring 2012 semester. Several institutions have indicated they already have emergency alert systems in place. For the institutions that do not have an alert system already in place, any costs associated with implementing provisions of the bill would be absorbed within existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 731 Texas Woman's University, 755 Stephen F. Austin State University, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration